Overview
- The Nagoya District Court on Tuesday cleared Satoshi Suzuki, Kazuo Takahashi, and Etsutomo Kamiyama of fraud, citing a lack of proof they meant to deceive or acted together.
- Judges said the phone lines at issue were contracted by other defendants still on trial, so the three did not share a concrete plan to commit fraud.
- Prosecutors had sought prison terms of three to six years after alleging the group used 920 lines, SIM cards obtained by others, and devices to place nonstop calls in March to June 2021.
- They argued the setup targeted access charges, the fees a caller’s carrier pays the receiver’s carrier based on call volume, and claimed unpaid differences of about ¥320 million and ¥13.7 million.
- The Nagoya prosecutors’ office said it will review the decision and consider its response.