Japanese investigative sources say police have referred the former president of medical equipment maker Olympus, Stefan Kaufmann, to prosecutors for allegedly violating Japan’s special narcotics law.

Sources say Kaufmann purchased what is believed to be cocaine and the synthetic drug MDMA several times between September 2022 and February.

Last week, police arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of supplying illegal drugs to Kaufmann.

Sources say police investigated Kaufmann voluntarily because there was no danger that he would destroy evidence or flee.

The 56-year-old admitted the allegations against him from the beginning.

On October 28, Olympus announced that Kaufmann had dropped the board request. Company officials said the board acted following an internal investigation into a tip that he was buying illegal drugs.