The Japan Sumo Association said Monday it has filed a criminal complaint against a magazine publisher for defamation over articles on alleged match-fixing. The complaint filed with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is against Kodansha Ltd., publisher of the weekly Shukan Gendai, Yorimasa Takeda, the writer of the articles in question, and others involved. The JSA also filed its fourth civil lawsuit over the same issue. The latest action followed in line with the arguments the JSA claimed in filing its previous civil lawsuits, saying the magazine misled its readers and defamed the association and sumo wrestlers by alleging that wrestlers habitually engage in rigging bouts.
