EGN NEWS DESK
According to the indictment, Kaufmann, 56, allegedly purchased unlawful medicine believed to be cocaine and MDMA from Takaaki Kaneko, a 44-year-old self-proclaimed photographer, thrice in Tokyo between June and November 2023 in violation of the particular narcotics regulation.
In the primary listening to of his lay-judge trial on the Tokyo District Court, Kaufmann stated that the allegations in opposition to him are all true. The protection stated {that a} high-quality could be an acceptable punishment for him.
With the case concluded, the ruling will likely be handed down Friday.
Prosecutors argued that Kaufmann began utilizing unlawful medicine below the affect of a buddy, including that he then started to purchase them from the vendor and that he was depending on the medicine.
Kaufmann acknowledged that he had labored for 16 to 18 hours a day and used the medicine to cover his fatigue. Kaufmann additionally stated he was unable to give you an answer as a result of the vendor threatened him, saying he would expose his use of unlawful medicine to the police and the media.
The protection stated that Kaufmann has not been utilizing banned medicine since February of this yr and isn’t depending on them. In his remaining assertion, the defendant stated that he regrets what he has finished very a lot.
Kaufmann, who’s from Germany, turned Olympus president and CEO in April 2023. He resigned from the posts in October this yr.
