Photo/Illutration Prosecutors investigating an alleged bribery case related to the Tokyo Olympics enter the headquarters of Aoki Holdings Inc. in Yokohama on July 28 to conduct a search. (Kaho Matsuda)

More details are trickling out about the investigation by Tokyo prosecutors into allegations a business apparel company bribed a member of the Olympics organizing committee to secure a sponsorship contract and sell branded merchandise.

While the former committee member, Haruyuki Takahashi, 78, denies allegations he took bribes, he admitted he pushed to speed a review process to grant sponsors approval to sell official Olympics products, sources said.

Aoki Holdings Inc., the company under suspicion of bribing him, had drawn up an internal list of favors it wanted from Takahashi, sources said, which included a request to speed the approval process so the company could start selling clothing bearing the Olympic logo.

Takahashi said during voluntary questioning on July 27 he instructed the committee's marketing division to hurry its review of sponsor’s sales plans, but he said that was for all the companies--not just Aoki.

He said he did not encourage the committee to select Aoki as a Games sponsor, according to sources.

Prosecutors have turned the focus of their investigation of Aoki Holdings toward requests it is believed to have made to Takahashi: that Aoki’s sponsorship contract be approved and that it be granted permission to sell Olympics branded apparel.

Investigators said they believe Takahashi exerted influence on the organizing committee and advertising giant Dentsu Inc., which was soliciting sponsors for the Games, in exchange for bribes in the form of consultancy fees paid by the Aoki.

Investigators from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office raided the offices of Takahashi’s consultancy firm on July 26, along with the headquarters of Dentsu, where Takahashi previously served as a senior managing director.

The following day, they searched the home of Hironori Aoki, 83, who founded the clothing company and served as its chairman, on allegations he bribed Takahashi.

Aoki Holding's headquarters, located in Yokohama, was raided on July 28.

Takahashi’s consultancy firm signed a contract with a subsidiary of the apparel company in 2017 and received at least 45 million yen ($330,000) up to when the Games ended in August 2021, according to sources.

The organizing committee appointed Aoki as a sponsor of the Tokyo Games in 2018 and approved it to sell official products including business suits featuring the Olympic emblem.

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