Photo/Illutration Masaya Uesugi responds to questions from The Asahi Shimbun. (The Asahi Shimbun)

The former head of a company group linked to shady business dealings with Ohsho Food Service Corp. recalled his shock at learning nine years ago of the murder of a business rival known as the “Gyoza King” and denied involvement in the slaying.

Masaya Uesugi, 78, spoke at length with Asahi Shimbun reporters. At one time, he headed various companies whose activities ranged from operating golf courses to repairing telephones.

He acknowledged having enjoyed a friendly relationship with Takayuki Ohigashi, 72, the president of Kyoto-based Ohsho Food Service who was gunned down in front of company headquarters on Dec. 19, 2013.

Police arrested Yukio Tanaka, 56, a senior member of a gang affiliated with Kudo-kai, an organized crime syndicate headquartered in Fukuoka Prefecture, for the crime.

Uesugi said he knew of Satoru Nomura, the head of Kudo-kai who is appealing his death sentence in a separate murder, but that his company never had direct dealings with Kudo-kai.

“I have no idea why Ohigashi was targeted,” Uesugi said.

He added that he was not only shocked when he learned of the murder but distraught that some people considered him the string-puller behind the case.

According to investigative sources, police are looking into the shady business dealings between Uesugi’s group and Ohsho Food Service.

Uesugi said he had enjoyed a long relationship with the founding family of Ohsho Food Service and often consulted with company officials when they were weighing plans to open a new outlet to sell gyoza dumplings.

After Ohigashi became company president in 2000, he began settling past business dealings between the company and Uesugi’s group.

Uesugi said he had borrowed 5 billion yen ($34 million) from Ohsho Food Service but sold real estate to repay the debt about six months before Ohigashi was murdered. Uesugi said he had documents exchanged with Ohsho Food Service to back up what he was saying.

Ohsho Food Service set up a third-party committee to look into inappropriate business dealings and issued a report that concluded there were 14 such transactions in which Ohsho Food Service purchased real estate properties from Uesugi’s group and later sold them to a third party, often for a huge loss.

For example, in March 1995, Ohsho Food Service purchased a five-story commercial building in Kyoto from one of Uesugi’s companies for 530 million yen. That building was later sold for 80 million yen to a thid party.

In April 1995, Ohsho Food Service purchased real estate in Hawaii from another Uesugi company for 1.83 billion yen. That real estate was later sold to an Ohsho subsidiary, which in turn palmed it off to a third party for 598 million yen.

The panel concluded that the shady business dealings totaled about 26 billion yen, of which around 17 billion yen was uncollected and had to be written off as a business loss.

When asked about such business deals, Uesugi blamed those at Ohsho Food Service for vastly inflating the monetary figures. He again said he had the documents concerning those transactions.

But Uesugi did admit to being questioned voluntarily by police both after Ohigashi’s murder and the recent arrest of Tanaka. Uesugi said he told police he did not know Tanaka.

Related News