The Olympus board of directors could cling on to power beyond February, a spokesperson for the scandal-hit camera maker has confirmed to Amateur Photographer.

The news follows reports earlier today that all the company?s directors plan to step down at the next shareholders meeting. Chairman Suichi Takayama (pictured) made the announcement at a Tokyo press conference.

However, it is far from clear when the remaining board members will quit.

Olympus spokesperson Ayako Nagami told Amateur Photographer: ?It is not clear yet when Olympus is going to hold [its] next shareholder meeting.

?However, in the [press] conference he [Takayama] mentioned as an example that if an extraordinary shareholders meeting were to be held, the process to organise one would take about two months.

?Therefore, it would be in [the] later half of February, at the earliest.?

Meanwhile another board member, Makoto Nakatsuka, quit earlier today.

Nakatsuka was named as one of the key players in an Olympus-commissioned investigation probing the £1.1 billion accounting cover-up.