Avex puts up Y648 mil for music producer Komuro to pay back fraud victim

Thursday 12th March, 04:52 AM JST

OSAKA —

Disgraced pop music producer Tetsuya Komuro has paid 648 million yen to an investor from whom he allegedly swindled 500 million yen by concluding a contract to sell music copyrights that he did not own, his defense team said Thursday.

Masato Matsuura, 44, president of Avex Group Holdings Inc, the holding company for a group of entertainment firms, put up the money on behalf of Komuro, 50, who was once a high-flying music producer, song writer, composer and arranger. The 648 million yen included arrears.

However, no formal settlement has been reached between Komuro and the investor, a resident of Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture. Komuro’s trial is expected to conclude at the next hearing scheduled for April 23. After Thursday’s hearing, Komuro and his wife, singer Keiko, who is the lead vocalist of pop group Globe, issued a statement through their lawyer and renewed an apology for causing trouble over the fraud scandal.

Komuro said in the statement that he wants to resume music activities as early as possible and to do good for society through music.

In Thursday’s court session, Avex President Matsuura took the witness stand and said Komuro is a real music lover and Avex, the music label, could not have grown without his help. Pop singers Ayumi Hamasaki and Kumi Koda could not have gone on to stardom without Komuro’s help, he said.

Matsuura asked the three-judge panel to suspend Komuro’s sentence and help him avoid going to prison, saying that he has prepared a seat for Komuro at his office.

Avex rapidly made itself known as a music label in the 1990s, thanks to a series of hit songs produced by Komuro.

Avex Vice President Ryuhei Chiba, who also took the witness stand at the court hearing, said he has allowed Komuro and his wife to stay at his home.

Chiba said Komuro has deeply regretted his conduct and he is confident that Komuro will never be involved in such a scandal again.

Komuro debuted as a member of pop group TM Network in 1984 and contributed to producing a number of hits in the 1990s, including ‘‘Can You Celebrate?’’ by singer Namie Amuro. In recent years, however, he is said to have accumulated huge debts related to his business and family matters.

Prosecutors arrested Komuro in November 2008 and charged him with fraud. He was freed on 30-million-yen bail following the indictment.

According to the indictment, Komuro concluded a contract in July 2006 with the investor to sell about 800 music tunes for 1 billion yen. He accepted an advance payment of 500 million yen from the investor the next month, despite being aware that the songs, most of which he had written, no longer belonged to him.

Komuro entered a guilty plea at the first hearing of his trial on Jan 21.

Under the Penal Code, a person who defrauds another of property shall be punished by imprisonment of up to 10 years.

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11 Comments

smartacus at 05:48 PM JST - 12th March

Avex could have employed 100 jobless people for a year with that amount of money.
NeoJamal at 05:50 PM JST - 12th March

One thing Mr Komuro taught me how to cope with today's money matters

GET WILD AND TOUGH!
bobbafett at 06:16 PM JST - 12th March

Avex could have employed 100 jobless people for a year with that amount of money.

and each one of them could have easily written a piece of crap for Hamazaki and others to murder and it would be just as bad, if not better than what Komuro could write.
Pukey2 at 09:46 PM JST - 12th March

Pop singers Ayumi Hamasaki and Kumi Koda could not have gone on to stardom without Komuro’s help, he said.

That alone should lead to a 10 year sentence in jail.

I see he's dyed his hair back to black. Trying to look serious? I wonder whether his wife has also got rid of her cheap blond dye job in a bid to help him.
bobcatfish at 09:48 PM JST - 12th March

perhaps the jobless could pen a song about their experiences
noborito at 10:51 PM JST - 12th March

another reason downloads are ramped. Who in the end is paying... the company? no the customers. you and me. outrageous.
GG2141 at 11:41 PM JST - 12th March

I hope they don't transfer the money to that scum-bags account in the assumption that he will pay it to the plaintiff. Once a thief, always a thief.
seesaw at 12:55 AM JST - 13th March

I would do the same for my friend in trouble....What a great example of friendship.
WK3 at 01:12 AM JST - 13th March

Pretty amazing act of loyalty in an industry where competition is cut throat and memories short-lived. At least Matsuura recognizes there is no way in hell his company would be where it was today without TK. TK singlehandedly turned Avex from an obscure indies label to THE premier music label in the country.
dontpanic at 02:08 AM JST - 13th March

WK3 - it is an amazing act of loyalty, Avex cn hold their heads high. Nevertheless Komuro's a liar and a thief who deserves short shrift.
WK3 at 06:19 AM JST - 13th March

Oh yeah, I'm not excusing TK's behavior. I'm just surprised avex didn't leave him out to hang.