Following recent revelations about the targeting of ex-FBI agent and prominent African-American investor Ty Fairman by the Japanese mafia, Sierraloaded conducted an exclusive interview with Yuki Izawa, Fairman’s business partner in Japan.

Izawa expressed significant concerns regarding the legal and operational challenges they are facing, particularly in Sierra Leone.

Ty Fairman serves as the Managing Director and majority shareholder of DDE F-Tech Africa Ltd., a company formed in Sierra Leone with shareholders Tarine K. Fairman, Tokuro Kudo, and Yukihiro Izawa. According to Izawa, no funds were ever transferred directly from Japan to Sierra Leone; instead, all investments came from NAMD inc the U.S. company that received funds.

Izawa emphasized that any allegations of fraud should fall under U.S. jurisdiction, not Sierra Leone, since the funds were handled by NAMD Inc.

The conflict began when Izawa & Fairman met Kudo in June 2019, where NAMD Inc entered into an agreement with Kudo/DDE Fintech Holdings. Despite initial progress, including diamond recovery and export to Japan, Izawa reported disturbing revelations in late 2023. Japanese police and journalists informed him that Kudo and Michio Kamiya, another executive of DDE Fintech Holdings, had connections to the Yakuza, Japan’s organized crime syndicate.

Izawa was also informed in December 2023 that DDE Fintech advertised their scheme to sell World Friendship Coins and back them with Sierra Leone rough diamonds in February 2019, several months before they met Mr. Fairman and Izawa.

Izawa disclosed that both Kudo and Kamiya had criminal records and affiliations with the Yakuza. These revelations led to the cessation of financial transactions with DDE Fintech Holdings in December 2023.

Izawa and Fairman later learned that DDE Fintech Holdings had been involved in a fraudulent scheme, collecting over $300 million from Japanese investors by falsely claiming their World Friendship Coin was backed by Sierra Leonean diamonds.

In February 2024 Ishikawa, who isn’t a Board Member, Director or was known to Izawa and Fairman, illegally filed fraud charges against Fairman in Sierra Leone. Ishikawa stated to CID that he had a power of attorney from Kudo, but it was never presented to DDE F-Tech Africa Board Members as a notification.

Izawa asserted that the charges are baseless and politically motivated, aiming to discredit Fairman, who is a potential witness against DDE Fintech Holdings in Japan. Izawa expressed fear that Sierra Leonean law enforcement might be complicit in this corruption, influenced by Yakuza bribes.

Izawa maintains that he possesses substantial evidence, including monthly expense reports, emails, photos, and text messages, proving Fairman’s innocence and the legitimacy of their business operations. He stated that all financial activities were transparent and pre-approved by the board of DDE F-Tech Africa Ltd.

The ongoing issues have led Izawa and Fairman to reconsider their investments in Sierra Leone. They plan to reach out to major media outlets and the Japanese Ambassador in Ghana to highlight the corruption in Sierra Leone and its negative impact on Japanese investments. Izawa warned that these concerns could significantly affect Japanese investment and support, including from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).