Pharmaceutical maker Sankyo's chairman demoted over scandal

0 Comments | Asian Political News, July 17, 2000

TOKYO, July 13 Kyodo

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Sankyo Co. said Thursday its chairman, Yoshibumi Kawamura, has been demoted to a director and his son and director Yoshinori, has been demoted to a part-time director because of an in-company scandal.

Police plan to send papers to prosecutors on the younger Kawamura on suspicion of intimidating an 84-year-old adviser to the company by making 300 silent calls from June to August last year.

Yoshinori Kawamura, 57, told police that he made the calls to block a move within the company to force his father to resign.

The adviser, whose name was not revealed, retired as vice president of Sankyo in 1990.

Yoshibumi Kawamura, 84, assumed the chairmanship in June this year after serving as president for 25 years.

The junior Kawamura entered Japan's second largest pharmaceutical maker from Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank in 1994 and became a director the following year.