Trial soon! Hidetoshi Tanaka, Former Chancellor of Nihon University, “Living on Bail in Secret

Asagaya, Tokyo, in late January. In late January in Asagaya, Tokyo, a large man carrying a shopping bag was walking along the shopping street just a short walk from the station. It was the defendant, Hidetoshi Tanaka, 75, former chancellor of Nihon University. He looked a little thinner than before, but his eyes were still sharp.

Former Chancellor Tanaka was released on bail after paying 60 million yen on December 21 last year. As a condition of his bail, he was forbidden to have any contact with the people involved in the incident, so he cannot even meet anyone from Nihon University. He is currently living on bail quietly at his home and chanko restaurant in Asaya.

Tanaka’s case is that he did not file tax returns for his income of about 118 million yen and avoided income tax of about 52 million yen in total. In the aftermath of this incident, Tanaka was released on January 26. In the aftermath of this case, it was decided on January 26 that the full amount of subsidies to Nihon University, estimated to be around 9 billion yen per year, would not be granted. The defendant, Tanaka, is scheduled to go on trial for the first time on February 15. Yoji Ochiai, a lawyer and former prosecutor of the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, said.

In light of past cases, if it is his first offense and the amount of tax evasion is 52 million yen, it is highly likely that he will be given a suspended sentence. However, in his case, he is an educator who is the chancellor of a university, and he took advantage of his position, which is malicious. The sentence sought is one to two years imprisonment, and the probation is three years in most cases, but the maliciousness of the crime may be taken into consideration and the sentence may be suspended for four years.

The defendant Tanaka is “completely down” about the tax evasion, saying that he was the one who initiated it. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in this trial.

The key point is whether Tanaka will admit that the 118 million yen was a kickback, and that all or part of it was returned from money paid out by Nihon University. The key point is whether he will admit that the 118 million yen was a kickback and that all or part of the money was returned to the university. He was charged with tax evasion, not breach of trust, so even if he admitted it, it would not have a direct impact on the sentence, but the fact that the case was recognized as a “breach of trust case” and reported is significant. Tanaka will probably claim that he just forgot to declare the congratulatory money.

However, the prosecutors will also try to prove that the money was actually kickbacks by showing the scheme of refunds. I think there is a possibility that the defendant will slip up during the trial.

The University of Tokyo is in a tight spot due to the non-issuance of subsidies. The university has been in a tight spot due to the non-issuance of subsidies, and if Tanaka’s words are allowed to return the university’s money, the university will be in an even tighter spot.

From “FRIDAY” February 18, 2022 issue