Olympus has fired its boss over claims he bought illegal drugs.
German businessman Stefan Kaufmann, the second non-Japanese CEO of the Japanese manufacturing giant, took over in April last year.
Stefan Kaufmann was the second non-Japanese CEO of the Japanese camera maker
But yesterday, a spokesperson for the camera maker said in a statement that after receiving an allegation that Kaufmann had purchased illegal drugs, it has launched an investigation.
The spokesperson said: “Based on the results of the investigation, the board of directors has unanimously determined that he is likely to have engaged in conduct inconsistent with our Global Code of Conduct, our core values and our corporate culture.”
The board asked for his resignation and the 56-year-old Kaufmann agreed, the spokesperson said.
As Olympus shares fell more than 5% in Tokyo, the company apologized for the concerns this has caused to our shareholders, customers and all stakeholders.
Details about the drugs Kaufmann allegedly purchased remain unclear.
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