Gogol Bordello frontman sued by former guitarist for taking $500,000 from band's bank account

Gogol Bordello’s mustachioed singer, Eugene Hutz is facing allegations of extorting money from the gypsy-punk band’s joint bank account, supposedly transferring as much as half a million dollars.

The group’s former guitarist Oren Kaplan, who has filed a lawsuit with the New York county supreme court, saying that Hutz abused his position when he took over overseeing the band’s financial affairs back in 2009.

The lawsuit reads:

“Hutz approximately half a million dollars from the bank accounts of the Gogol Bordello entities and deposited those funds into the accounts of new companies which are wholly owned by Hutz. Plaintiff had no prior notice of, and has never approved any of these illicit self dealing acts.”

Kaplan departed the group in 2012. Gogol Bordello released their latest album Pura Vida Conspiracy in July.

[via The Guardian]