British anti-fraud watchdog launches Olympus probe

Autopsy? waste of time, Olympus case already buried in Japan.

To the SFO: we don't need prosecutions, just findings ... the truth is a very rare commodity (and often scorned)

Scandal after scandal!! Its seems like almost every company is getting hit by scandals. Olympus is just one of many that has finally got caught. I bet there are many more companies in Japan that are doing the same thing which has not gotten caught yet. I think Japan is a country that can never be trusted anymore. Too many lairs in Japan!!

Find the facts, start prosecuting!! The only way Japanese companies are going to stop doing this crap is if people end up behind bars. No one cared when it was Horiemon because he was young and new. Old guys? They will care if other old guys are being charged!

Thumbs down for wanting for justice??!

I think Japan is a country that can never be trusted anymore. Too many lairs in Japan!!

I always thought Japan was trusted much beyond what deserved and now only turning back to the normal and gets what she deserves.

I have always found the pro-japan propaganda the most pharisaic, hypocrite and sanctimonious, meanwhile I newer thought that Japan was any worse than many of the other developed, industrialized nations. Just the mask , the smirks and smiles were disgusting.

But it's obviously would be plain stupid to trust in Japan and I sincerely hope that Japan would recognize that the old recipe of lies, sham, counterfeits doesn't work anymore and make some attempts to play fair and show some ethics.

Also, the deteriorating corporate moral might be one symptom of the consciously and centrally controlled devaluation process that Japan has chosen to handle their 20 years of recession .

I newer thought = I never thought

Munya, what are you saying?? Japan is an honest, safety country that loves peace! Rolls eyes.

Oh, I forgot polite too! And smart kids!

Too many lairs in Japan!!

Lairs? Dragon's lairs? Or typo: layers, lawyers, liars... Anyway, all choises are so true, have to agree with you there.

British, don't interfere in our nations companies! Japanese don't interfere in British companies problems, this is western imperialism and bullying us again.

Kentaro75,

True. But if they are operating in another country these fraudulent acts do raise concerns. I also wonder why these execs just get fined all the time like the bigboys in the US. They should get jail time. You and I would if we did something corrupt.

The Olympus was not the first company to falsify its financial statements This unfortunately is a common practice in large companies. Who does not remember the Enron case - and even the government of Greece falsifying its accounts. This is hypocrisy to say that only Japanese companies commit this crime. I hope that Olympus will come out stronger from this crisis.

Other companies are not relevant to this discussion. Please stay on topic.

Kentaro75, it was the Japanese who bought the British company to cover up their accounting crimes. You opened the door for British investigation, nobody is bullying you. Japanese ways and customs are valid only in Japan.

Kentaro 75: what a card you are! The British authorities are investigating an apparently fraudulent acquisition of a British company by an overseas company. What problem do you have with that? And please explain how financial authorities doing their job, namely investigating questionable practices in their own country, constitutes western imperialism.

welcome to the real world japan. you want to play with the big boys play by the rules.

@sillygirl, since when is the UK one of the "big boys" if Japan wasn't already? Japanese economy is bigger than that of the UK for like ever.

hey hide suzuki - everyone else here seems to know that olympus is a japanese company. what is the matter with you? the japanese company olympus funneled their funny money through companies in other countries. and that - mr. suzuki - is playing with the big boys - when you think you can get away with this stuff in an international setting.

@theeastisred - because I am tired of western and chinese, russian, the two koreas and taiwan etc always bullying my nation. I think it is only jealosy why other nations always negative and want to interfere with japans business law, whale research, claims on our territoriy and islands, culture and so on... Maybe we Japanese will stand up again to the bully behavior like we did 70 years before...

I just heard rumours that the Shortie will be arrested by this weekend....

British, don't interfere in our nations companies! Japanese don't interfere in British companies problems, this is western imperialism and bullying us again.

Sorry Kentaro San, this issue involves a British Citizen and therefore it's being handled to include the Brits.

Kentaro75Nov. 17, 2011 - 05:29PM JST

@theeastisred - because I am tired of western and chinese, russian, the two koreas and taiwan etc always bullying my nation. I think it is only jealosy why other nations always negative and want to interfere with japans business law, whale research, claims on our territoriy and islands, culture and so on... Maybe we Japanese will stand up again to the bully behavior like we did 70 years before...

Whatever those countries did or didn't do in the past to Japan, a country many readers of this site love deeply by the way, has got absolutely nothing to do with this case. The former management of Olympus has created a desperate situation for their company, and a national embarrassment to Japan, with their criminal actions. Since part of the problem took place in the UK, it is natural for the UK authorities to look into it. Japanese business law does not come into it.

@theeastisred - because I am tired of western and chinese, russian, the two koreas and taiwan etc always bullying my nation. I think it is only jealosy why other nations always negative and want to interfere with japans business law, whale research, claims on our territoriy and islands, culture and so on...

Kentaro -- you can't be serious? (And please note I chose to ignore the completely silly and off target last sentence of your rant about "70 years-ago"). Your ignoring of the obvious, which seems to be the rule rather than the exception in Japan, just amazes me. No one is trying to bully Japan. What the international community is trying to get Japan to finally recognize is that they cannot continue to operate as complete hypocrites. If Japan wants to benefit from international trade/finances, which brought it back from destruction, then it must be willing to abide by international standards of conduct and governance. It cannot say, let us sell our products, services, bonds, stocks, etc. wherever we want, but then turn around and say how we run our companies is none of your business. So Japan has a choice. Either recognize that the world is truly global and competeing it in will require change and opening up to meeting global standards, or simply shrink and become an island/isolated nation again.

Kentaro,

Japan is far from perfect. Stop pretending it is.

Unfortunately, this incident blackens the reputation of Japanese business at a time of world recession!

Maybe we Japanese will stand up again to the bully behavior like we did 70 years ago.

Yeah, 'cos it worked out so well last time.