Japan

Writ of Summons in Sigma Kabushiki Kaisha v. Trustcorp Limited (in liquidation) at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.

Documents that were unsealed recently at federal court in Miami provide specifics of a long-running criminal investigation into alleged fraud, corruption, extortion, and money laundering by former Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Lester Bird and his associates, including Asot Michael, Josette Michael, John E. St. Luce, Robin Yearwood, Bruce Rappaport, and Sir Ronald Sanders.

Chapter 15 Petition for Recognition of a Foreign Main Proceeding in Japan by Akihiro Sakaguchi, as the Foreign Representative of Taicom Securities Co. Ltd., at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California.

A federal judge in the United States has accused the U. S. Government of illegally attempting to impose securities reporting requirements on a Cayman Islands-domiciled, Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed firm whose founders have been charged with fraud.

Memorandum Opinion in USA v. Shelly S. Singhal, Loretta Fredy Bush, and Dennis L. Pelino at the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Writ of Summons in Pratt Limited, Common Well Management, Inc., Marathon Real Estate Opportunity Fund, LLC, Marathon Master Fund Ltd., Marathon Special Opportunity Master Fund Ltd., MRE Roppongi GK II, Inc., and Marathon Asset Management, LP v. CJC Investments, Inc., Central Tokyo Properties, Inc., Lehman Brothers Real Estate Japan Limited, and Alvarez & Marsal Asia Limited at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.

Criminal Indictment in USA v. Timothy McGee at the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Petition by Cathay Strategic Investment Company No. 2 Limited, domiciled in the Cayman Islands, to wind-up GK RCA 03, LLC, domiciled in Japan, filed at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.

Cayman Islands-domiciled Firebird Global Master Fund II Ltd. has filed a complaint at federal court in Washington, DC in an attempt to enforce a $37 million judgment that it obtained in Japan last year against the Republic of Nauru.

Complaint in Firebird Global Master Fund II Ltd. v. Republic of Nauru at the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Complaint to Enforce Foreign Judgment for $37 million in Firebird Global Master Fund II Ltd., domiciled in the Cayman Islands, v. Republic of Nauru at the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has issued a public appeal to the country's former Ambassador to the United Kingdom - Sir Ronald Sanders - to co-operate with a corruption investigation in which he is a suspect.

Investigation Report Summary into Olympus Corporation by The Third Party Committee, dated December 6, 2011.

Amended Class Action Complaint in Chaitanya Kadiyala v. Olympus Corporation, Michael C. Woodford, Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, and Shuichi Takayama at the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Letter from Michael Woodford, President and CEO of Olympus Corporation, to Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, Chairman of Olympus Corporation, about 'Serious Governance Concerns' regarding Olympus Corporation.

Complaint filed by Cargill, Inc., Cargill International SA, Amlin Corporate Insurance, Chartis Europe, HDI-Gerling NV, Minnetonka Insurance Company, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire, and The Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association (Bermuda) Limited against Degesch Americas, Inc., Detia Degesch GmbH, and D&D Holdings, Inc. at the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Indictment in USA v. Shelly S. Singhal, Loretta Fredy Bush, and Dennis L. Pelino at the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Petition In the Matter of SMBC Preferred Capital GBP 1 Limited and SMFG Preferred Capital GBP 1 Limited at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.

Petition In the Matter of SMBC Preferred Capital USD1 Limited and SMFG Preferred Capital USD1 Limited at the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands.

Ex Parte Petition to serve 'John Doe' summons on U. S. merchants with sales agreements with First Data Corporation to process transactions involving First Atlantic Commerce, Ltd., filed at the U. S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

Three British Virgin Islands domiciled companies are among the defendants in a civil complaint in which 20 Japanese plaintiffs claim they were defrauded of $2.5 million in a Ponzi scheme. The complaint was filed at the U. S. District Court

Motion for Modification of Court Order and to Supplement Commissioner Appointment regarding a request from Antigua & Barbuda for judicial assistance for a criminal investigation into Lester Bird, Asot Michael, Josette Michael, Bruce Rappaport, Sir Ronald Sanders and others for suspected involvement in fraud, corruption, and money laundering.

Article based on an application to collect evidence for a criminal investigation into alleged securities fraud - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from the United Kingdom - that was filed at federal court on May 1, 2007. Individuals and businesses mentioned in the request for assistance include Gordon O'Donnell, Nicholas Westin, Heritage Mergers and Acquisitions Ltd., Edos Inc., Bank of America, First Liberty Clearing LLC, Bank of Cyprus, TA Holdings Corporation, and Crown Noble TA, a.k.a. Crowne Noble TA.

Chapter 15 Petition for Recognition of a Foreign Main Proceeding in Japan by Go Ishikawa, as the Foreign Representative of Three Estates Company Ltd., at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner for a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom into an alleged fraud perpetrated by Nicholas Westin against Gordon O'Donnell.

The Serious Fraud Office in the United Kingdom has started a criminal investigation into the collapse of British litigation funding firm Invaro Ltd., according to two sources. Invaro went into liquidation in June, 2004 - shortly after being exposed by OffshoreAlert - and is insolvent by approximately $145 million, according to its liquidators, Tony Murphy, Henry Shinners and Robert Horton, of British accounting firm Smith & Williamson.

Two corporations formed in Florida by former Nevis-based offshore financial services provider Nigel Scott Grant did not last long; OffshoreAlert has previously reported about the propensity of Bahamas Supreme Court judge Jon Isaacs to issue rulings that are favourable to suspected crooks, particularly those accused of narcotics trafficking; The All Japan Liquor Merchants Co-operative Association filed a civil lawsuit at Tokyo District Court, in Japan on August 17, 2006 against Credit Suisse, Haruo Kusakabe, who was a Vice President, Private Banking of Credit Suisse at the time of the incident at the heart of the action, and investment broker Fabio Takeshi Sunago; The liquidators of offshore stockbroker SEGOES Services Ltd. have obtained a court judgment for US$3.9 million against the firm's principal director, John Kaweske, Jr.; and Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro filed a motion at the U. S. District Court for the District of Southern New York on October 3 requesting that the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio be appointed lead plaintiff in a securities class action lawsuit filed in August against Scottish Re Group Ltd.

Wachovia Bank is trying to avoid turning over records to the Antigua Government for an investigation into alleged corruption by former Prime Minister Lester Bird, offshore banker Bruce Rappaport and others. The North Carolina-domiciled bank has applied for a protective order in a civil complaint filed by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda at the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court for Miami-Dade County, Florida on February 23, 2006. 

Japanese police today arrested the Tokyo representative of a group headed by former Bahamas resident Bill Godley for allegedly helping to swindle a pension fund out of 80% of its assets. Fabio Takeshi Sunago, 44, was arrested along with Hideo Seki, 49, the former Secretary General of the All Japan Liquor Merchants Association, according to a report by the Kyodo News Agency.

Chapter 15 Petition for Recognition of a Foreign Main Proceeding in Japan by Manjiro Yamakawa, as the Foreign Representative of Gestion-Privee Location LLC, at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

A Japanese pension fund that invested 80% of its assets in a British litigation funding scam has been advised to write-off its $125 million investment. That was the recommendation of Hori Hiroshi Law Office, which the All Japan Liquor Merchants Association hired to look into the mess and advise how to proceed.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Antigua & Barbuda - for a criminal investigation into Lester Bryant Bird, Asot A. Michael, John E. St. Luce, Robin Yearwood, and Bruce Rappaport for suspected corruption and fraud.

Article based on a sealed application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation into Takushi Yoshikawa and others - pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Japan - was filed at federal court in the USA on September 16, 2004.

Fortress Re Inc. and its two principals, Maurice Sabbah and Kenneth Kornfeld, have reportedly agreed to settle a $1 billion arbitration award by giving up assets worth more than $400 million.The assets include "lavish homes, antiques, a Gulfstream III jet and other assets", according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on July 21, 2004.

A fifth person has been arrested in the United Kingdom by police investigating the collapse of the Imperial Consolidated Group. Japanese national Masao Imadzu was picked up this morning as he attended a breakfast meeting in Lincolnshire, England with former Imperial boss Lincoln Fraser and other business associates.

Arbitration proceedings in North Carolina regarding the failed Fortress Re aviation reinsurance pool was halted recently to allow emergency depositions to be taken in Japan.Hearings were already underway when Fortress Re Inc., of North Carolina, requested depositions of four current

Sovereign Risk Insurance Ltd. has signed what it is proclaiming as "a landmark political risk insurance agreement" with the Asian Development Bank for a project in Vietnam.Sovereign is supporting ADB's Political Risk Guarantee that covers a commercial financing tranche for the Phu My 2.2 gas-fired power project, stated a press release dated December 17, 2002.

The Joint Liquidators of Bermuda-registered Carolina Reinsurance Ltd. have filed a civil lawsuit in the United States against the firm's shareholders and auditor.They are seeking damages for tens of millions of dollars of dividends they claim were taken out of the company when it was insolvent.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in South Korea into Seong Jin Hong for alleged embezzlement while serving as president of Continental Co., operator of the Shilla Hotel Casino.

Basic details of warnings and actions by regulators around the world.

The results of an independent geological survey of 4.5 million acres of land in Argentina to which the Imperial Consolidated Group has mining rights are expected to be known by the end of August. They will go a long way to determining the level of dividend creditors can reasonably expect, said a spokesman for Imperial's UK-based administrator, Mazars Neville Russell.

Indictment filed by USA against Alvin Irwin Moss, Frederick John Collier, Avraham Zohar, a.k.a. Avy Zohar; Richard Titterington, Geoffrey L. Feldman, Sherrie-Lee Doreen Cave, Peter James O'Sullivan, Rosalind Rose, Wayne Budd, Thomas Montgomery Bayer, Robert Murray Bohn, Stacy Layne Beavers, Beverly Ann Moss, Jeffery Allen Moss, Larry Charles Moss, Michael Joseph Harkin and Michael Elliot Cole at the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Japan into an unknown person who made a death threat on an Internet message board known as 'Hyunetto Jikkyochukei'.

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a money laundering investigation in the United Kingdom into Kentaro Matsumoto and Illy Chakrabarty.

Bermuda-domiciled Carolina Re was used to siphon approximately $470 million of premiums from a North Carolina-based aviation reinsurance pool known as Fortress Re, it has been alleged. And the principals who controlled both companies have been accused of providing the pool's members with false financial statements showing "exceptional" profits instead of "exceptional" losses.

Michael Gilbert, who was severely criticized by a New Zealand judge in a recent court ruling (see separate story), is part of a reorganization that involves the Imperial Consolidated Group and companies with the prefix 'Alpha'.The firm that he is a director of changed its name from Imperial Consolidated (New Zealand) Ltd. to Alpha Equities Asia-Pacific (NZ) Ltd. on November 29, 2001.

Section 304 Petition for Assistance in Insolvency Proceedings in Bermuda by Gareth Hughes and John McKenna, as the Foreign Representatives of Carolina Reinsurance Limited, at the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

UK-based Imperial Consolidated PLC filed its first-ever audit with Companies House in early February but it shed little light on the financial status of the overall group. Although the firm is described as the "Imperial Consolidated PLC Group of Companies" in its audit, the results of none of its overseas affiliates are included, nor are some of the group's UK companies.

Make it a two way street please ... MLATs, Treaties, Memorandums of Understanding, Conventions Against Illicit Traffic, EU Council Directives, Basle Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision... One way streets the lot of them, nothing more than wide boulevards leading

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Japan into Keiichi Matsuzaki for alleged fraud.