Photo/Illutration Hidetoshi Tanaka in 2006 when he was head coach of the Nihon University amateur sumo team (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Nihon University plans to seek damages against its former chairman, Hidetoshi Tanaka, following a series of financial scandals that led to his indictment, it announced on Jan. 11.

The news came as the university reported on the progress of deliberations for preventive measures and other matters to the education ministry.

Tanaka, 75, was indicted over tax evasion for funds prosecutors believe he received as kickbacks from businesses connected to the university.

The university also reported on the same day that it plans to establish a new third-party panel consisting of outside lawyers.

In December, the education ministry demanded that the university report on the progress of deliberations over seven points, including seeking damages against the former board chairman and reviewing the process for appointing board members or councilors.

The new board chairman, Naoto Kato, submitted the report to the education ministry the same day, which was the deadline for the report.

According to Kato, the report pointed out that those money scandals “were attributable to Tanaka’s dictatorship.”

He said the university will establish the third-party panel within the week, apart from the internal investigation, and will compile the final report by March.

It was also reported that the council for the university’s reform, which was established last December, will discuss the process for selecting board members. The council will meet for the first time on Jan. 18 to discuss university governance.

The government has meanwhile suspended subsidies to the university, and the overall amount it receives in subsidies is expected to decrease significantly.

The report said that will have little effect on school fees, stating “the university will not raise those fees and it will use its own funds to make up for (the subsidy reduction).”

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