Japan's Kadokawa Corp paid arrested Olympic exec's associate -Kyodo
03/09/2022 09:27
TOKYO, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corp,
a sponsor for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, gave 70 million yen
($500,000) to a company linked to a central figure arrested in a
growing bribery scandal around the Games, Kyodo news agency
reported on Saturday.
Tokyo prosecutors are looking into the purpose of the
payment and the flow of money from Kadokawa to a firm run by a
friend of Haruyuki Takahashi, a former member of the Tokyo 2020
board, Kyodo said, citing a person it did not name for the
information.
Takahashi, 78, is one of several people arrested on
suspicion of bribery surrounding the Games, which were delayed a
year due to the pandemic. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2ZU01B urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N3080M9
The company and prosecutors could not be reached for comment
outside business hours.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has previously
said it would not comment on the cases.
Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, chairman of the publishing company, told
reporters last month he was not aware his company was being
investigated but that he was looking into the circumstances,
Kyodo said.
The reported payment comes weeks after the arrest of
Hironori Aoki, former chairman of fashion company Aoki Holdings
8214.T , on suspicion of bribery.
Kadokawa made the payment, labelled consultant fees, after
it was named an Olympic sponsor in April 2019, Kyodo said.
Reuters reported in 2020 that Takahashi, who was paid
millions of dollars to work on Tokyo's successful bid for the
Olympics, said he played a key role in securing the support of a
former Olympics powerbroker who was later suspected by French
prosecutors of taking bribes to help Japan's bid.
Takahashi, a former executive at advertising giant Dentsu
Group 4324.T , told Reuters at that time his work included
lobbying International Olympic Committee member Lamine Diack who
he gave gifts, including digital cameras and a Seiko watch.
He said there was nothing improper with the payments he
received or with the way he used the money.
($1 = 140.2000 yen)
(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by William Mallard)
((tetsushi.kajimoto@thomsonreuters.com;))