THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
November 13, 2024 at 16:39 JST
The Olympus Corp. logo (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Tokyo prosecutors have received papers on Stefan Kaufmann, the sacked CEO of medical equipment manufacturer Olympus Corp. who is suspected of possessing cocaine and ecstasy, investigative sources said.
Kaufmann, 56, originally from Germany, is believed to have bought the illegal drugs on multiple occasions, the sources said.
Olympus announced in late October that Kaufmann had resigned as company president and CEO when suspicions arose about his narcotics purchases.
The sources said Kaufmann repeatedly obtained the drugs between September 2022 and February 2024 in Tokyo.
He has admitted to buying between 0.1 and 0.2 gram of cocaine as well as one tablet of synthetic drug MDMA, or ecstasy, on each occasion, the sources said.
The Metropolitan Police Department, which sent the case to prosecutors on Nov. 12, began its investigation after receiving a tip in April.
On Nov. 7, Tokyo police arrested Takaaki Kaneko, 44, on suspicion of selling the drugs to Kaufmann.
A police search of Kaufmann’s home in June turned up no illegal drugs, the sources said.
Kaneko sent a letter to Olympus in September about Kaufmann’s drug purchases. Company officials consulted with police and decided to have Kaufmann resign the following month.
(This article was written by Arata Mitsui and Tabito Fukutomi.)
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