TOKYO STOCK EXCHANGE

Olympus Corp Chairman and President Tsuyoshi Kikukawa stepped down on Wednesday in response to a widening scandal over dubious acquisition deals, as sources said Japan's securities watchdog was looking into the 92-year-old firm's past dealings.

Olympus Corp announced Wednesday that its chairman and president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa had stepped down over media reports of a widening scandal, as sources said Japan's main securities watchdog was looking into the 92-year-old firm's dubious acquisition deals.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing the massive advisory fee paid by Japan's Olympus Corp. in its takeover of a British company, a media report said, as the firm's shares continued to slide over the scandal.

Shares in Olympus Corp plunged 22 percent on Monday after media reports quoted its ousted chief executive as accusing the board of firing him for probing allegations of improper payments related to acquisitions.