Yoshihiro Yasuda

The Tokyo District Court acquitted Yasuda, 56, of conspiring with two clients to conceal ¥200 million by directing tenants of two buildings in Minato Ward, Tokyo, to pay their rent to two dummy companies between 1993 and 1996.

Prosecutors claimed Yasuda and the Singaporean president of the real estate company that owned the buildings did this to prevent moneylenders from seizing rental income.

The president and his son were found guilty of hiding the income based on advice from Yasuda.

Presiding Judge Masaaki Kawaguchi said that Yasuda's advice to his clients was within the bounds of the law.

He said prosecutors wrongly charged Yasuda and the president in connection with a separate ¥200 million embezzlement that involved four officials of the real estate firm.

The judge criticized prosecutors for attempting to "unfairly" hide evidence that pointed to Yasuda's innocence and making a company official testify against him in exchange for their waiving embezzlement charges.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 3, 2004
(C) All rights reserved