Police said Tuesday that two men have turned themselves in over the beating to death of a 31-year-old man in a Roppongi nightclub in September.

In the early hours of Sept 2, a group of 10 men in masks entered the club Flower, which was full with about 300 people, and proceeded to beat restaurant owner Ryosuke Fujimoto to death with pipes and metal bats. CCTV footage showed the group leaving only minutes after their arrival. Fujimoto was rushed to the hospital but died a short time later of severe head injuries.

The two men who turned themselves in on Sunday were quoted by police as saying they were present at the attack that led to Fujimoto's death, but claim they did not take part in the beating, Fuji TV reported.

Last week, police issued arrest warrants for 15 men in connection with the murder. According to police, all of the men are former members of the Kanto Rengo gang, to which Fujimoto has also been connected, tabloid media reported. The magazines claim that Fujimoto's restaurant was funded by money borrowed from lenders connected to organized crime. Reports suggest that Fujimoto had failed to pay back any of the money he owed after a year.

According to a report in Friday magazine, the group of men belonged to a “non-gangster organization” which was then hired to attack Fujimoto. Shukan Asahi claimed the money-lender could have been a former founding member of Kanto Rengo, which is believed to have extorted money from club Flower in the past.

Police said both men who turned themselves in have been released without charge while they are being investigated.

© Japan Today