Panel rules against decision not to indict Nova, ex-president

Wednesday 25th March, 06:31 AM JST

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11 Comments

Samuraiiki at 09:22 AM JST - 25th March

Justice at its best.
Deguchisan at 10:17 AM JST - 25th March

Does anyone still care about this?
timorborder at 10:22 AM JST - 25th March

Another one for the too hard basket. To actually indict this person and look into the whole range of issues involved would be too public a washing of the dirty linen. As such, they have decided to get out the brushes and sweep this mess under the carpet.

In response to "Does anybody still care about this? I can pass the following comment. Although I never worked for NOVA (or did the English teaching gig full stop), I think it is important that the facts in this case are researched and blame laid accordingly. My motivations for this are based in law. OK, this time it was a crappy Eikaiwa school that went under (as a result of some rather shady business decisions). What about the next time and the time following that. Not enforcing the laws of the land (in this case the business laws) is not in the country's own best interests.
Kokubuspider at 11:33 AM JST - 25th March

As above, too hard, not important to most Japanese people, so filed under "As a last resort"
sensei258 at 12:35 PM JST - 25th March

"They did not intentionally fail to pay the salaries", they just forgot. Easy enough to understand. "Now what was I supposed to do with all this money?...hmmmm". "What was is that all those instructors have been repeatedly complaining about?...hmmmm". "Damn, if I could only remember. Guess I'll just have to buy a yacht instead." "Your honor, my client is not guilty by reason of dementia".
Sanatan22 at 03:21 PM JST - 25th March

To set the record straight, Saruhashi (his real name - he changed the reading of the kanji later) did not start Nova in 1990 but in 1982.
BBLeo at 06:44 PM JST - 25th March

Yes we care about this? This scumbag nearly got away with it. I remember well about this case, and JT has also published the photo of his expensive office. If he is found guilty he will get suspended sentence like all other scumbags got:’ THAT'S LAW IN JAPAN FOR SUCH RICH PEOPLE.' 20 YEARS BEHIND BARS PLEASE.
BBLeo at 06:50 PM JST - 25th March

It looks that this guy will never be prosecuted and he will float away from public eyes with all the money for the future of his family. Some people are right. What is the point to comment 'law is protecting him from top to bottom.
mistersmarmy at 06:58 PM JST - 25th March

sounds like the laws in Japan are made to protect the bad guys? Okay, maybe this Sahashi was suffering from some kind of cognitive dissonance issue, but there were a lot of people affected by this. If you wanna get away with a financial crime, just make sure there's a lot of money involved. The more money, the less likely you'll be found guilty.
jeancolmar at 08:16 PM JST - 25th March

Or maybe Sahashi was suffering from diminished capacity. Or maybe his greed and power were so absolute he did not know right for wrong and, therefore, is innocent by reason of insanity.

Well, anyway, three cheers for this independent panel, whatever good it will do.
dokachin at 09:45 PM JST - 25th March

It's a well-known fact that when your pay check does not come the company is going under. The Eikaiwa that went under in Osaka that Nova copied was run by the yakuza and basically Saruhashi was connected too and probably still is. There was a joke when the wages weren't paid on time that the yakuzas needed it to pay off a drugs deal.