Tortoise Matsumoto, who was reported to have illegally received 100 million yen in Corona employment compensation…This magazine saw him “returning to Tokyo after the radio show” a month and a half ago. | FRIDAY DIGITAL

Tortoise Matsumoto, who was reported to have illegally received 100 million yen in Corona employment compensation…This magazine saw him “returning to Tokyo after the radio show” a month and a half ago.

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Tortoise Matsumoto returns to Tokyo in mid-April after recording a radio show in Osaka.

On a mid-April evening, Tortoise Matsumoto, 57, vocalist of the popular band “Wolfles,” came out of the ticket gate of Shinagawa Station, chatting smilingly with a man who appeared to be his manager. Matsumoto had just returned to Tokyo after a live radio show “Got You OSAKA” (FM COCOLO), for which he serves as DJ in Osaka.

He probably never thought that a month and a half later, he would be in a position to be cornered. ……

On May 29, the electronic version of the Shukan Bunshun (weekly magazine) published an article with the headline “Tortoise Matsumoto Refunds 100 Million Yen in Corona Hiring Fee. According to the article, an apparel company, of which Matsumoto is the representative director along with his relatives, was pointed out by the government to have illegally received “Corona employment adjustment subsidy” and refunded 100 million yen.

On the 28th, the day before the report, Matsumoto himself gave an interview to Bunshun, in which he broadly admitted the truth of the matter. Matsumoto’s wife’s father was the founder and president of the company. Matsumoto was the chairman of the board, but he said, ‘I was not informed of what was happening at the company. In short, it seems that Matsumoto was not involved in the management of the company at all, as if he was lending his name to the company. Nevertheless, Matsumoto felt keenly the social responsibility and resigned from the position of chairman.

(A reporter for a national newspaper),

I can’t help but think, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Anyway, it’s not funny… it’s not funny at the end…

The comments were ironic, as the song was a hit for the band,

《Guts, man! I wish you all the best.

However, there were also many supportive comments such as, “Guts, man!

Many people have focused on this issue. Among the various comments,

“It can’t be said that we didn’t know about Corona’s illegal payments. This is no different from the LDP’s backdoor money lawmakers.

Some people are of the opinion that the responsibility should be pursued.

One expert who is familiar with the Corona unfair benefit issue said, “The Corona employment adjustment subsidy is a very important issue for the company,

However, since it takes a very long time to investigate, a criminal case can be avoided by voluntarily reporting and refunding the subsidies. In this case, too, Mr. Matsumoto has already refunded the money, so it is unlikely that he will be interviewed or that the investigation will continue,” said a lawyer familiar with the Corona-related unfair receipt of benefits issue.

On April 24, Matsumoto released his first solo song in 11 years, “TADAIMA! on April 24, Matsumoto distributed his first song under his solo name in 11 years, “TADAIMA!

The lyrics, “TADAIMA no ‘ma’ waits for you.

Fans are waiting to see him back in good spirits after everything has been resolved.

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A month and a half later, he probably did not expect to find himself in the middle of the “Corona employment compensation fraud issue.
Tortoise Matsumoto walking with his dog in February ’24.
  • PHOTO Takayuki Ogawauchi

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