Japan's Securities Watchdog Files Charges Against 32-Year-Old Judge Soichiro Sato and Former TSE Employee for Insider Trading

Dec 23, 2024, 08:55 AM

Japan's securities watchdog has filed criminal charges against a 32-year-old judge, Soichiro Sato, currently on assignment at the Financial Services Agency, and a former employee of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) for alleged insider trading. The charges stem from suspicions that the judge used confidential information about upcoming tender offers (TOBs) to make stock purchases in his own name. The judge, who served as an assistant manager in the agency's corporate disclosure division from April to September this year, is accused of repeatedly buying and selling shares based on non-public information regarding the pricing and timing of stock offerings. The TSE's former employee and the judge's father are also implicated in the case, raising concerns about insider trading practices within Japan's financial regulatory framework.