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Man held in abduction-
torture case has alleged
ties to Yakuza

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

A 50-year-old man accused of kidnapping and torturing his ex-wife is a flight risk and is dangerous, the state says.

Hidehisa Semba has claimed ties to Japanese organized crime gangs, the Yakuza, and allegedly tried to kill his wife before, according to documents filed in support of the state's motion to hold him without bail.

Circuit Judge Richard Perkins yesterday ordered Semba, former owner of Club Ninja, held on $500,000 bail, cash only, pending a Monday hearing to allow his attorney more time to respond to the state's request.

Attorney William Harrison said yesterday he had just been retained by Semba and needed more time to review the nearly 200 pages of discovery.

Perkins also instructed Semba that he cannot post bail until he appears before the court first for further conditions of release.

Based on the facts and circumstances of the case, the state feels there is a serious risk Semba will flee the state, that he poses a danger to his ex-wife and the community and may engage in illegal activity, deputy prosecutor Lynne McGivern said in the affidavit.

The Jan. 18 incident took substantial planning and the victim has suffered "great psychological and physical harm," McGivern said.

This isn't the first time Semba, who is not a U.S. citizen but has been here for six to seven years, has been in trouble with the law.

Earlier murder-for-hire case

The FBI told police they had investigated Semba in a murder-for-hire case involving his wife in 1998. No charges were filed, however, because a confidential informant refused to cooperate.

Semba was also sentenced to a year's probation in December for violating a temporary restraining order in June.

The morning of Jan. 18, Semba arrived late for an appointment with his probation officer, who described him as "being on edge."

The probation officer recommended he undergo a mental health assessment because he appeared to be suffering a mental breakdown or suffering from the after-effects of drugs use. Semba also told the probation officer that his life was over.

According to police and case files, Semba is accused of holding his 50-year-old ex-wife at an airport hotel room for nearly 12 hours without food on Jan. 18 after abducting her from her Ala Moana apartment.

A male friend was visiting her at home when her ex-husband allegedly forced his way into her apartment with the help of an unknown man and woman.

They bound and gagged her male friend, telling him "this wasn't about him," and that it was between her and the Yakuza. They threatened to kill him if he called police.

Semba allegedly told her at the airport hotel room that "it was all her fault" and that he would torture and kill her with an ice pick.

He also told her he had hired the Yakuza to kill her previously and that the Yakuza would kill her adult children in Japan.

Planned to commit suicide

Semba also said he would kill himself after killing her because he knew kidnapping was a serious crime and he didn't want to go to jail.

He also allegedly told her that he had written two letters to her friends saying she was leaving Hawaii to take care of a sick relative in Japan and that it would explain her disappearance.

He also threatened to embarrass her by photographing her in sexually explicit positions.

She managed to untie herself when he fell asleep.

When she was rescued, she had blood on her clothes, black eyes, a split lip and bruises all over her body and was crying hysterically, the affidavit said.

Police recovered luggage from the hotel room and items in plain view that included handcuffs, leg irons and rope.

Armed with a search warrant, police later opened the luggage and recovered $21,000 cash, drugs, video equipment, more restraints and items described as "sex toys."