Public prosecutors on Monday sought a 10-month prison term for Stefan Kaufmann, former president and CEO of major Japanese optical equipment maker Olympus, on suspicion of obtaining banned drugs.
According to the indictment, Kaufmann, 56, allegedly bought illegal drugs believed to be cocaine and MDMA from Takaaki Kaneko, a 44-year-old self-proclaimed photographer, three times in Tokyo between June and November 2023 in violation of the special narcotics law.
In the first hearing of his lay-judge trial at the Tokyo District Court, Kaufmann said that the allegations against him are all true. The defense said that a fine would be an appropriate punishment for him.
With the case concluded, the ruling will be handed down Friday.
Prosecutors argued that Kaufmann started using illegal drugs under the influence of a friend, adding that he then began to buy them from the dealer and that he was dependent on the drugs.
Kaufmann stated that he had worked for 16 to 18 hours a day and used the drugs to hide his fatigue. Kaufmann also said he was unable to come up with a solution because the dealer threatened him, saying he would expose his use of illegal drugs to the police and the media.
The defense said that Kaufmann has not been using banned drugs since February of this year and is not dependent on them. In his final statement, the defendant said that he regrets what he has done very much.
Kaufmann, who is from Germany, became Olympus president and CEO in April 2023. He resigned from the posts in October this year.
