Japan has found itself in the middle of a bribery scandal that could jeopardize its hopes of hosting the 2030 Winter Olympic Games. It follows the arrest of a former Tokyo 2020 Olympics committee board member and three employees of a clothing company that sponsored the games. Haruyuki Takahashi, a former executive at advertising company Dentsu, is suspected of receiving bribes of around €370,000 from the former head of Aoki Holdings Inc. and two company employees. Aoki, which makes affordable business suits, was considered a surprise choice to dress the Japanese Olympic team while other nations opted for more internationally recognizable brands.

In becoming a sponsor for the Tokyo 2020 Games, Aoki Holdings paid JPY 500 mln (EUR 3,65 mln) - less than half what the other sponsors paid, according to the report. Tokyo prosecutors on Wednesday arrested the former chairman of Aoki Holdings Hironori Aoki, the former member of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics board Haruyuki Takahashi and two other executives on suspicion of bribery.TV Asahi reported on Thursday that Mr Takahashi denied the bribery charges of the prosecutors. A spokesperson for the prosecutors explained they cannot comment on the ongoing investigations.Aoki Holdings wrote in a statement on Thursday that it is fully cooperating with prosecutors but cannot comment further as the investigation was ongoing.

Prosecutors said in a statement on Wednesday that a total of JPY 51 mln (EUR 370,000) had been sent from the bank account of Hironori Aoki's asset management firm to the bank account of a company run by Mr. Takahashi. Reuters reported in 2020 that Mr 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. Mr. Takahashi told Reuters at that time his work included lobbying International Olympic Committee member Lamine Diack to whom he gave gifts, including digital cameras and a Seiko watch. He then was recorded saying that there was nothing improper with the payments he received nor with the way he used the money. Mr. Diack died at the age of 88 last year. 

(Photo:Reuters)