LAOS (TR) – Security camera footage from October 14 captured a chilling scene on a street in Vientiane: a minivan pulls to a halt, and a man steps out. Seconds later, a figure dressed in black jogs up to the driver, draws a handgun, and fires three rapid shots.
The victim collapses face-first onto the pavement. The gunman flees the scene immediately without taking any of the victim’s belongings, bearing all the hallmarks of a targeted professional hit rather than a robbery.
The victim has been identified as Yoshihito Oshima, the eldest son of Kenshin Oshima, the notorious founder of the bankrupt Japanese commercial lender SFCG (formerly Shoko Fund), reports Smart Flash (Oct. 25).
According to financial insiders, the Oshima family had been operating Lao ASEAN Leasing Public Company (LALCO), a lucrative finance and leasing business in the capital Vientiane. Yoshito served as the director.
The assassination may not be an isolated incident, as sources indicate Kenshin Oshima himself has survived at least two recent attacks.
Shoko Fund
Kenshin Oshima originally founded Shoko Fund in 1978, building an empire by offering high-interest loans to struggling small and medium-sized enterprises. The company became infamous in Japan for its ruthless and aggressive debt collection tactics targeting joint guarantors, leading to a massive social scandal and Oshima being summoned to testify before the Diet. SFCG eventually went bankrupt in 2009 with a staggering 548 billion yen in debt.
Though Kenshin was arrested in 2010 on suspicion of concealing billions of yen in assets just before the collapse, he was fully acquitted by the Tokyo High Court in 2016.
By 2021, reports emerged that Oshima had fled to Laos with an estimated 46 billion yen in hidden assets to rebuild his financial empire. There, he and Yoshihito launched a company offering consumer finance and vehicle-backed loans, eventually listing on the Laos Stock Exchange.
However, former employees revealed that the company was essentially operating a “Laos version of Shoko Fund,” utilizing the same aggressive collection methods that made them infamous in Japan.
“The Laos authorities were viewing their forceful collection methods as a major problem,” a former employee revealed in 2021. “Until now, they were forgiven by handing over bribes, but they had reached the limit.”
Despite graphic photographic evidence of Yoshihito lying in a pool of blood, local authorities and Japanese diplomats have remained remarkably tight-lipped. The Japanese Embassy in Laos stated they are “confirming facts,” while the Laos Embassy in Tokyo dismissed the footage as unverified rumors spread by anti-government dissidents.
Cover-up
An eerie cover-up appears to be underway. On October 19, a document signed by Kenshin appeared on their company’s Facebook page, officially announcing Yoshihito’s death and stating that Yoshihito’s mother would take over as president. The post was inexplicably deleted shortly after.
When reporters visited an affiliated company in Japan where Yoshihito served as an executive, representatives were entirely in the dark. Upon being shown the execution footage, a company representative broke down in tears.
Shortly after, lawyers representing the Japanese affiliate issued a strict gag request to the media, stating the case was still under investigation.
“The family’s lives are highly likely still in danger,” the legal notice warned, urging the press to back off.
As official channels remain silent, the exact motive and the identity of the hitman remain a mystery. However, those familiar with the family’s business practices are hardly surprised by the violence.
“Considering the reputation of Oshima’s company in Laos, they had a lot of enemies,” one financial insider noted. “There are stories that they had earned the resentment of government officials. But to be murdered like this…”