Jan 16 (NHK) - Japanese commercial broadcaster Fuji Television Network says it has hired outside lawyers to probe a scandal involving television personality Nakai Masahiro.
The move comes after media reports said that Fuji Television employees have been involved.
The scandal surfaced last month when weekly magazines reported Nakai, a former member of the now-defunct Japanese pop idol group SMAP, got into "trouble" with a woman in 2023 and paid her settlement money.
The broadcaster issued a statement denying the employees' involvement. The firm added that it has been examining the issue since last year.
On Wednesday, Fuji Television announced that it has been carrying out an investigation with the participation of outside lawyers.
The broadcaster said it will respond appropriately based on the results of the investigation.
On Tuesday, US investment firm Dalton Investments said it had sent a letter to Fuji Media Holdings, the parent company of the television network, to request that a third-party committee be set up to examine the scandal.
The US firm owns more than seven percent of Fuji Media's shares.
The letter notes that the broadcaster's response "exposes serious flaws" in Fuji Media's corporate governance.
