LONDON — Olympus, the Japanese medical equipment and camera maker, is suing former CEO and whistle-blower Michael Woodford in a multimillion-pound legal row over allegations of wrongdoing surrounding an executive pension plan.Almost five years after Woodford lifted the lid on one of Japan’s biggest corporate frauds, his former employer is claiming more than £15m from him and a former colleague, alleging they conspired to maximise their pension benefits by unlawful means, according to court filings.Woodford, Olympus’s first foreign CEO, was fired two weeks into the job in 2011 after persistently querying unexplained payments worth about $1.7bn and demanding the resignation of its former chairman and vice-president.He then alerted global authorities and the media. Olympus initially said Woodford was fired for failing to understand its management style and Japanese culture. But in September 2012 the company and three former executives pleaded guilty in Japan to cover-up charges.Olympus...
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