Arrested ex-Softbank worker repeatedly entertained by Russian diplomat

January 27, 2020

Tokyo-A former Softbank Corp. <9434> employee arrested on suspicion of illegally obtaining trade secrets of the major Japanese mobile phone carrier was repeatedly entertained by a male diplomat stationed at the office of Russia's trade representative in Japan, it was learned Sunday.

The former employee, Yutaka Araki, 48, has said in questioning by the Public Security Bureau of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department that he had thought the man in question may be a spy from Russia, investigative sources said.

The bureau suspects that the Russian diplomat seduced Araki to leak information after developing close relations with him.

The bureau arrested Araki on Saturday on suspicion of obtaining two sets of trade secrets of Softbank, including work manuals related to its mobile phone base stations, in February last year by accessing a server of the firm in violation of the unfair competition prevention law in an attempt to gain illegal profits.

According to the sources, the Russian diplomat came to Japan in 2017 and often dined with Araki. The Russian official told Araki that he has diplomatic privilege guaranteed by the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, such as immunity from arrest, but stopped short of revealing his status as a diplomat or his title at the office of the Russian trade representative, the sources said.

Araki told the MPD bureau that he was asked by the Russian official to obtain specific types of materials and provided him with such materials for cash. Araki was also wined and dined by the Russian official.

The suspect said the identity of the Russian man was vague. But Araki also said he had thought the man may be a spy from Russia in light of his demand, according to the sources.

The bureau suspects that another Russian official at the trade representative office was also involved in the information leak and tried to contact Araki. This Russian official returned home around spring 2017. Jiji Press