Fujitsu offered "hush money" to ex-president -lawyer

TOKYO, April 22 (Reuters) - Fujitsu Ltd's (6702.T) former president was offered 270 million yen ($2.90 million) by the firm when he resigned, the former president's lawyer said on Thursday.

The lawyer said that the amount was due to be paid to Kuniaki Nozoe over a 10-year period and that he had received some of the money already. He added that Nozoe plans to pay back the amount he has received.

Fujitsu offered the money to Nozoe in return for his work as a company adviser but Nozoe now regards it as "hush money" on the reason for his resignation, the lawyer said.

Nozoe has threatened to sue Fujitsu executives over his claim that he was improperly forced to step down as president in September because of unfounded allegations of dealings with a firm with suspected links to organised crime. [ID:nTOE63600N]

Fujitsu, which had originally cited illness as the reason for Nozoe's resignation, was forced to revise its disclosure. The IT services firm has said it is ready to fight Nozoe in a court.[ID:nTOE63D074]

Fujitsu spokesman Yasuhiko Yodo declined to comment on whether the firm had offered the money.

Nozoe will hold a news conference at 0730 GMT. (Reporting by Kentaro Hamada and Nobuhiro Kubo; Editing by Hugh Lawson)