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Kintamayama

Yaocho by mobile scandal-

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Per today's riji meeting, the request for the cell phones of the remaining four people they have been requested from has changed from optional to mandatory, though no word of a deadline or potential consequences for non-compliance was made known.

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So if Hanaregoma himself is aware of and deplores yaocho, then why wouldn't he himself come out and expose it? Is the concept of "gachinko" limited to the dohyo, leaving them free to indulge in dirty secret keeping in other aspects of life?

I honestly think he, like a principle at a school where students smoke pot, really doesn't know what exactly goes on in detail. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew nothing concrete at all.

I think that the principal does, in principle, know a lot more about what's really going on than he lets on to knowing.

Of course-the key words are "in detail."

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So after today's riji meeting, the powers that be have apparently decided that the "exhaustive" investigation into yaocho that will leave no stone unturned should finish up around mid-March, and that the goal is to work towards having the Natsu Basho as scheduled. They are also trying the old trick of saying that there may be lighter punishments for those who come forward and confess right away.

They aren't even trying to make sense anymore, but at least the Mountain of Golden Balls and others should be pleased. It is turning quite silly, so at least I'm getting a laugh out of it too.

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Fallout: It's being reported that Kiyoseumi is preparing to submit intai paperwork.

Not only is he the only one of the four presumed guilty who has not admitted to his guilt, but he has also refused to cooperate with requests for cell phone and bank paperwork. So he is my silver bullet pick to receive the first jomei punishment in history.

I guess the best way to play it at this point would be to clam up until he's expelled, then sell the story to the highest weekly rag bidder. Maybe the college rikishi ain't dummies after all...

Edited by Peterao

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They aren't even trying to make sense anymore, but at least the Mountain of Golden Balls and others should be pleased.

I don't think dragging out the "investigation" over a long period of time for the sake of dragging it on would bring different results than in mid-March. If the people allegedly involved decide to clam up they will clam up, regardless of a timeline. If something crops up and someone decides to talk, they can deal with it in real time. What we get out of it is what's important and not how many bashos will be canceled. I hope they lose their public status and the rikishi will all become gachinko, at least for a reasonable period of time. I think it's safe to say we all want the same thing and that's good clean sumo. We just have our own views on how.

Fallout: KaioU intai will be after July.

Edited by Kintamayama

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So after today's riji meeting, the powers that be have apparently decided that the "exhaustive" investigation into yaocho that will leave no stone unturned should finish up around mid-March, and that the goal is to work towards having the Natsu Basho as scheduled.

And so tonight, Hanaregoma riji has said once again that there will be no basho until the full investigations and punishments are complete, while other people are saying that "the basho and the investigation are separate, so both can happen at the same time."

Maybe the Kyokai is falling apart, like Tunisia or Wisconsin...

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Juryo Wakatenrou is angry. As one of the "Fab Fourteen" he is under suspicion of throwing bouts. "All I can do is to keep saying I have nothing to do with this." After learning that those that admit may get lighter punishments, he said: "There is a rumor that they want to sacrifice the Fab Fourteen and end the investigation. With this kind of talk, what are my chances??" So far, he has been called to the new committee only once. He has not handed over his mobile phone. "Of course I'm ready to hand it over, but till now nobody asked me for it directly. The committee has my phone number . I'm being treated like the bad guy here, and that is troubling.."

Edited by Kintamayama

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Am scared what's going to happen to the already-oyakata...they are no riji, so impossible to demote em...

mentioned in mails or not, there is one guy who'd be a great teacher - better than many others who are doing the job for many years...

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I know my fair share of Japanese, and I had never heard the word jomei (expulsion). I had to look it up a few weeks ago when all this started b/c some here were using it. Though I realize we all pepper English with Japanese it seems a funny one to use in Japanese if it hasn't happened in the history of sumo. At least I learned a new word though. (:

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Juryo Wakatenrou is angry. As one of the "Fab Fourteen" he is under suspicion of throwing bouts. "All I can do is to keep saying I have nothing to do with this." After learning that those that admit may get lighter punishments, he said: "There is a rumor that they want to sacrifice the Fab Fourteen and end the investigation. With this kind of talk, what are my chances??" So far, he has been called to the new committee only once. He has not handed over his mobile phone. "Of course I'm ready to hand it over, but till now nobody asked me for it directly. The committee has my phone number . I'm being treated like the bad guy here, and that is troubling.."

A bit more...

Juryo division wrestler Wakatenro on Wednesday denied being involved in a match-fixing scandal that has shaken sumo to its foundations, slamming a cash-for-confessions method he says is being deployed by a special investigations panel to speed up its probe.

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Yamamotoyama, another Fab fourteen member, is denying any involvement in yaocho as well. He has been depressed since the story broke out and now weighs 277 kilos. He is still suffering from his injury and cannot train properly. "When the story broke I was really stressed and didn't want to train. I tried not to watch TV either, as my name was being dragged in the gutter," he explained. There was even a case a few days after the story broke when pizza in the amount of 65,000 yen was delivered to the heya in his name, an obvious prank. "I was surprised-at first the delivery guy brought pizza worth 15,000 yen and said that there was still pizza worth 50,000 yen coming and asked me if I really intended to eat it all..I apologized for the bother and asked him to kindly take it all back. This type of thing has never happened to me before. I'd really like to apologize. It hurts.." he said. His Oyakata has confined him to the heya till judgment day.

Edited by Kintamayama

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Fab Fourteen:The owner of the "broken phone" is Kyokunankai. "I did not participate in that," he said regarding the yaocho. He was summoned once to the committee and presented them with the broken mobile phone. "It was broken, but they told me it was Ok.. I went home to fetch it during the questioning.." he said. He has not been summoned for a second investigation. "If they will tell me to present them with my new phone, I will comply," he added.

Edited by Kintamayama

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Fab Fourteen member Ex-Kasuganishiki came down to his heya Kasugano for the first time since the news broke. "I feel responsible as well and will accept a demotion.. When the time comes, I will urge him to speak and apologize. He still belongs to the heya at the moment, so I told him to come down and do his work. He's just watching an not saying anything.." said Kasugano Oyakata. He is also urging Ex-Kasuganishiki to decline his salary."I have to think about this. I'm thinking about the best way to go about this," he explained.

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More circumstantial evidence of general fishiness: it was reported yesterday that two of the Fab Fourteen reported difficulties with returning their cell phones that occurred on February 2nd, the very day that the yaocho scandal broke. "That was the day I upgraded my phone." said one. "That was the day I lost my phone" said the other.

As such news tends to dribble out in spurts, I guess we'll need a couple more weeks before we get any actual names...

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He is also urging Ex-Kasuganishiki to decline his salary."I have to think about this. I'm thinking about the best way to go about this," he explained.

Hanaregoma says ex- Kasuganishiki was paid 11,000,000 yen in retirement money. "He was paid when he retired, before the scandal broke out..," he explained.

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Fab Fourteen:The owner of the "broken phone" is Kyokunankai.

Nitpick: One of the broken phones. (Three rikishi had that story.)

More circumstantial evidence of general fishiness: it was reported yesterday that two of the Fab Fourteen reported difficulties with returning their cell phones that occurred on February 2nd, the very day that the yaocho scandal broke. "That was the day I upgraded my phone." said one. "That was the day I lost my phone" said the other.

As such news tends to dribble out in spurts, I guess we'll need a couple more weeks before we get any actual names...

Looks like it. From testimony, via Nikkan:

Rikishi A: Changed his phone on that fateful day (Feb 2) and threw the old model in the trash.

Rikishi B: Lost his phone on Feb 2. any phone...]

Rikishi C: Changed his phone "at the end of January or the beginning of February".

Rikishi D: Does not recall exactly since when he's been using his current phone.

ACD are all willing to hand over their current phones (gee...), but two of them claim that this request was not relayed to them by their shishos before and they only heard about it when the committee pressed the issue recently. Guess the sports papers aren't considered essential reading in the stables...

Hanaregoma says ex- Kasuganishiki was paid 11,000,000 yen in retirement money. "He was paid when he retired, before the scandal broke out..," he explained.

Upgraded to 15,710,000 yen in recent stories.

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Today saw the first processing of intai paperwork since the yaocho scandal broke. Two lower ranked rikishi with no known connections to the gambling scandal were allowed to leave the Kyokai. At least one of them had accepted an offer of work from another company, but the company could have potentially broke that agreement if the rikishi remained a member of his heya.

Nobody in the sekitori ranks, or who is currently under suspicion will be allowed to leave until the investigation wraps up.

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Today saw the first processing of intai paperwork since the yaocho scandal broke. Two lower ranked rikishi with no known connections to the gambling scandal were allowed to leave the Kyokai.

One Jonokuchi rikishi, one tokoyama.

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It was reported yesterday that all 12 active rikishi under suspicion of yaocho have received their monthly salary as scheduled.

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Hanaregoma says ex- Kasuganishiki was paid 11,000,000 yen in retirement money. "He was paid when he retired, before the scandal broke out..," he explained.

Upgraded to 15,710,000 yen in recent stories.

Presumably the upgrade would include a refund of money held by the Kyokai to pay his taxes. (Just guessing)

Orion

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Shukan Post is running a story on a Raihou, a 23 year old former tsukebito of Harumafuji, who purportedly explains yaocho in bouts that took place with Hakuho in 2008 and 2009.

We'll see if the Investigation committee takes time to fit this into their busy and exhaustive schedule...

Edited by Peterao

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