Kotomitsuki accused of gambling- dismissed from Sumo

[Kintamayama]

"I think he better pay Kotomitsuki!!", said someone at the end of last year to the arrested ex-Furuichi's younger brother. Kotomitsuki confided in this person and asked him to help get his 5 million yen which he won gambling but could not collect because the ex-rikishi Furuichi wouldn't pay up through the tokoyama. Who was that? The then-active Ozeki Chiyotaikai. A speculation is that the arrested ex-rikishi (Furuichi's brother) wanted to show who "da man" was and decided to blackmail Kotomitsuki after being threatened himself.

Edited June 25, 2010 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama]

A shocking revelation - Special committee member Ito has clearly stated that the intention is to fire Kotomitsuki. It's not known if it will be a dismissal (kaiko) or the unprecedented expulsion (jomei), but the end result seems to be clear. "Kotomitsuki's punishment? Yes, he will get it. He's the first in line to be fired. The special meeting on the 28th will be the setting. We will go about it honestly!!" he said.

[Kotoviki]

Can Kotomitsuki hurry and put in intai papers right now before he gets "fired" ??

[Barang]

Kotomitsuki definitely has made breaking news. (Sign of disapproval...) Even Cambodian Daily has three articles about him in one week. Normally here (Cambodia) is hardly one sumo related article per year.

[Kotoviki]

I am just wondering, thinking.....

Do you think that if Kotomitsuki went to the police (maybe with his shisho) after he was first blackmailed and said "hey, I admit I was doing illegal gambling, but now the yakuza are blackmailing me and I feel threatened. I know I have done wrong but can you help me?" that he could be in less hot water now?

He could have even worked with the police as some sort of informant to trap some yakuza enforcers???

Just wondering.....

[Otokonoyama]

Can Kotomitsuki hurry and put in intai papers right now before he gets "fired" ??

I don't think so. AFAIK, that has to be done by or via one's shiso, and it's up to the NSK to accept the request, try to persuade them otherwise, or to dismiss/expel the rikishi. If he's very lucky, they may offer him the choice they offered to Asashoryu...

[Otokonoyama]

Sumo elder Sanoyama assisted in trying to collect ozeki's winnings

Sumo elder Sanoyama offered a helping hand to ozeki Kotomitsuki when he tried to collect 5 million yen in winnings from illegal gambling on professional baseball games from another wrestler late last year, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

[Otokonoyama]

Police to build gambling case against Kotomitsuki...

http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/26_03.html

[Kotoviki]

my friend was watching/reading news somewhere just now and emailed me that she heard Chiyotaikai said to Kotomitsuki "Furuichi's brother is terrible! Watch out for him!"

[Babaryutaikai]

my friend was watching/reading news somewhere just now and emailed me that she heard Chiyotaikai said to Kotomitsuki "Furuichi's brother is terrible! Watch out for him!"

Thanks for that, Viki. I'm glad to read that Chiyo was warning, instead of participating - I hope!

[Asashosakari]

Ozeki Mutual Assistance Society, indeed.

[Kotoviki]

my friend was watching/reading news somewhere just now and emailed me that she heard Chiyotaikai said to Kotomitsuki "Furuichi's brother is terrible! Watch out for him!"

Thanks for that, Viki. I'm glad to read that Chiyo was warning, instead of participating - I hope!

I too hope you are right on this one!!!!!!

[Kintamayama]

my friend was watching/reading news somewhere just now and emailed me that she heard Chiyotaikai said to Kotomitsuki "Furuichi's brother is terrible! Watch out for him!"

Thanks for that, Viki. I'm glad to read that Chiyo was warning, instead of participating - I hope!

I too hope you are right on this one!!!!!!

Papers are hinting that it was Chiyotaikai's veiled threat that brought about the whole blackmail thing.

[Asashosakari]

A shocking revelation - Special committee member Ito has clearly stated that the intention is to fire Kotomitsuki. It's not known if it will be a dismissal (kaiko) or the unprecedented expulsion (jomei), but the end result seems to be clear. "Kotomitsuki's punishment? Yes, he will get it. He's the first in line to be fired. The special meeting on the 28th will be the setting. We will go about it honestly!!" he said.

One article just sort-of reminded me of one thing - doesn't expulsion still require something like 75% approval by the oyakata/tate-gyoji/rikishi rep assembly?

[Otokonoyama]

Ex-sumo wrestler sent to prosecutors over extortion

Police sent a former sumo wrestler to prosecutors Saturday for extorting around 3.5 million yen from ozeki Kotomitsuki in connection with illegal gambling on professional baseball games, they said.

Mitsutomo Furuichi, 38, was quoted as telling investigators that he belonged to a crime syndicate in Kyushu for several years after retiring from sumo in 1997, investigative sources said. Police suspect Furuichi put pressure on Kotomitsuki to pay the money as hush money to conceal his habitual involvement in gambling, according to the sources.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/v...-over-extortion

[Kintamayama]

Reward

[Kintamayama]

In an interesting turn of events, Ootake Oyakata is now saying the money Kotomitsuki was asking for was actually Ootake's. He had borrowed around 20 million yen from Kotomitsuki, who apparently was shouldering his debts. This is either true or an attempt by the soon to be banished Oyakata to at least save Kotomitsuki's neck, and may be the reason why Kotomitsuki went from a dead duck to a suspended rikishi like 14 others in a matter of 24 hours.

[Fay]

Kotomitsuki just handed in his retirement papers :-(.

[Takamizawa]

Kotomitsuki just handed in his retirement papers (Nodding yes...).

This whole scandal has given me ample time to prepare for this, but it still hurts like hell knowing he'll be gone. For me, sumo won't be the same for a long time without him on the dohyo... gonna miss him :-(

[Manekineko]

Yes, although I knew this was coming, I'm sad to see him go... Not as big a gut punch as Wakanoho (Mickey was on the way out anyway), but still.

[Asashosakari]

Yes, although I knew this was coming, I'm sad to see him go... Not as big a gut punch as Wakanoho (Mickey was on the way out anyway), but still.

Still remains to be seen if he's as far on the way out as Wakanoho was, or gets to become an oyakata. Given that nobody really seems to know for sure whether he was in line for a suspension or a firing, this seems very much up in the air right now. :-(

[Takamizawa]

Yes, although I knew this was coming, I'm sad to see him go... Not as big a gut punch as Wakanoho (Mickey was on the way out anyway), but still.

Still remains to be seen if he's as far on the way out as Wakanoho was, or gets to become an oyakata. Given that nobody really seems to know for sure whether he was in line for a suspension or a firing, this seems very much up in the air right now. :-(

I'd love to see him stick around as an oyakata, at least so he could pass on his superb technique, knowledge, and skills to a new generation.

Edited June 28, 2010 by Takamizawa

[Peterao]

Kotomitsuki just handed in his retirement papers :-(.

I'm not seeing that news anywhere on Google News yet...

[Kintamayama]

Kotomitsuki just handed in his retirement papers :-(.

I'm not seeing that news anywhere on Google News yet...

Because it hasn't happened yet if at all, at least nothing official, pure and simple. Not written anywhere, and it's been a while since Fay posted.

[Kintamayama]

In an interesting turn of events, Ootake Oyakata is now saying the money Kotomitsuki was asking for was actually Ootake's. He had borrowed around 20 million yen from Kotomitsuki, who apparently was shouldering his debts. This is either true or an attempt by the soon to be banished Oyakata to at least save Kotomitsuki's neck, and may be the reason why Kotomitsuki went from a dead duck to a suspended rikishi like 14 others in a matter of 24 hours.

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