Ex-University Head Accused of Taking Two-Thirds of Fee from Architect Fraudulently Paid for Construction Project

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:33 JST, January 14, 2025

A former chancellor of Tokyo Women’s Medical University arranged to receive as a kickback two-thirds of the money that an architect was fraudulently paid by the university, according to investigation sources.

Kinuko Iwamoto, 78, allegedly had the unlawfully disburse more than ¥100 million from the university to the architect in connection with a project to construct new school buildings, although the architect did not actually work on the structures.

She instructed an aide, a 52-year-old then administrative staffer at the university, to have the architect divert two-thirds of the money he received to her.

The Metropolitan Police Department believes that Iwamoto decided in advance who would get what portion of the money.

Iwamato allegedly had the university pay the 68-year-old first-class registered architect even though he did not actually work on the two new buildings. She was arrested Monday on suspicion of breach of trust in which she caused about ¥117 million in financial damage to the university.

According to the sources, Iwamoto — who was then vice chancellor of the university — instructed the then administrative worker in late December 2017 to pay 1% of the total construction costs of about ¥12.8 billion for the two buildings to the architect as a consultation fee. This constituted about ¥100 million.

Iwamoto then told the staffer about her plan for the architect to return two-thirds of the money to her. Iwamoto also instructed her to tell the architect that his “earnings” would be divided between him and two university officials, including the female aide.

The staffer conveyed Iwamoto’s intentions to the architect the following month, and received his assent.

In February 2018 Iwamoto told a meeting of the university’s administrators that “considering the work done by the architect, his remuneration is too low.” The architect’s compensation was approved by the administrators at that meeting without sufficient examination of the amount.

Ultimately, more than ¥100 million was transferred into the architect’s bank account between July 2018 and February 2020.

The MPD believes the architect paid his residency tax and other fees, and then gave two-thirds of the remaining net income — about ¥37 million — in cash to the administrative staffer. She then gave Iwamoto the cash at the latter’s home.

From July to September this year, the MPD searched for evidence at Iwamoto’s home and other locations on suspicion of breach of trust. Investigators confiscated about ¥200 million in cash and about 10 kilograms of gold ingots worth about ¥200 million.

The MPD is investigating the flow of money at the university. It is also questioning the architect and the former administrative worker on a voluntary basis.