(Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, Aug. 10, 2004)
Ten former executives of Seibu Railway Co. and an affiliate were handed suspended prison terms on Tuesday for paying off a corporate racketeer in violation of the Commercial Code....."In a bid to cover up the illegal payoffs, the defendants gave money to the racketeer under the guise of legitimate real estate transactions," the judge said.....
Ikura, 65, and his colleagues sold two land lots in Kanagawa Prefecture, totaling about 6,270 square meters, to a real estate firm run by racketeer Ryuga Haga, 75, in January and May 2001 for 113 million yen, which was 89 million yen lower than their market prices, according to the indictment.
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