A former board member of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee and three people from a clothing company that was a surprise sponsor of the 2020 Games were arrested on suspicion of corruption on Wednesday.
Haruyuki Takahashi, 78, a former executive at advertising company Dentsu, is suspected of receiving bribes from the former director of Aoki Holdings Inc. and two company employees, the report said. prosecutor’s office.
Aoki, which produces ‘recruitment suits’ that young people fresh out of school wear to job interviews and their first jobs, was a surprise choice to dress Japan’s Olympic team when other nations had selected major fashion brands to design outfits for their athletes.
The alleged bribery, totaling 51 million yen (US$380,000) deposited in a bank account at Takahashi’s company from October 2017 to March 2022, is believed to be related to Games sponsorship and Olympics-related proceeds, officials said. Tokyo district prosecutors said.
Although corruption at the highest level among Olympic officials has long been rumored, the arrest is a blow to Japan’s Olympic ambitions.
Takahashi received credit for landing three billion dollars in local sponsorships for the Tokyo Games. Dentsu is a key player in many major Japanese events, including the Olympics. Japan is also pursuing the 2030 Winter Olympics, in Sapporo.
Aoki mentioned that he was still reviewing the matter and had no immediate comment. The Japanese Olympic Committee was not immediately available for comment.
Japanese media reported that Takahashi denied any wrongdoing, pointing out that he was paid for consulting services.
Hironori Aoki, the 83-year-old founder of Aoki, his younger brother and company deputy Takahisa Aoki, 76, and Katsuhisa Ueda, 40, a group company executive, were also arrested, it said. the prosecutors. The questionable payments were made more than 50 times, they claimed.
Prosecutors had raided Hironori Aoki’s Tokyo home last month. Speculation suggests that there could be even more arrests. Seiko Hashimoto, a lawmaker who was in charge of the Tokyo Olympics, promised to cooperate with the investigation.
Tokyo hosted the 2020 Games, which included the Paralympics, with much fanfare — as well as criticism, particularly over the mounting costs — in the summer of 2021. The event was postponed for a year and s is held without ticket sales to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was a disappointment, as the games were supposed to boost tourism revenue and showcase Japan’s prowess in the same way as the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
The official prize money for the last Tokyo Games was $13 billion, mostly from public money. That was double the original estimate when the International Olympic Committee awarded the event to Tokyo, but less than the $25 billion some had predicted.