Koichi Tanaka, a former executive at Sharp Corporation, was arrested by Osaka Prefectural Police for allegedly ordering unnecessary iPads, resulting in substantial financial losses for the company.
Osaka Prefectural Police arrested Koichi Tanaka, a former executive of Sharp Corporation, on charges of breach of trust for placing orders for unnecessary iPads that caused the company significant financial damage. The investigation found that between 2022 and 2024, Tanaka, who was the head of the brand promotion department, ordered iPads for a related company, leading to Sharp incurring costs of approximately 78 million yen, with around 48 million yen being deemed unnecessary expenditures. Tanaka is alleged to have acknowledged his wrongdoing during the investigation.
Furthermore, the subsequent inquiries into Tanaka's actions revealed that he sold these unnecessary iPads to a buying company, purportedly using the proceeds for gambling and other personal expenses. His actions led to Sharp's decision to terminate his employment in December 2024. Reports indicate that Sharp had raised concerns over Tanaka's actions as early as January of the previous year, leading to a criminal investigation that uncovered the extent of the financial damages incurred by the company.
Sharp has not provided detailed comments on the matter, as they are currently coordinating with the police on the investigation. This incident raises serious questions regarding corporate governance and accountability within large corporations in Japan, highlighting the potential for significant financial misconduct by individuals in trusted positions.
