THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
November 10, 2022 at 14:35 JST
Haruyuki Takahashi, a former board member of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Prosecutors filed fresh charges against a former Tokyo Olympic organizing committee official over a widening bribery scandal that cast a deep shadow over the Games held in the Japanese capital just over a year ago.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office announced Nov. 9 it indicted Haruyuki Takahashi for a fourth time for receiving bribes in exchange for giving special consideration related to corporate sponsor operations and licensed product sales during the summer Games.
He maintains he is innocent of wrongdoing.
Executives of an advertising company and a stuffed doll manufacturer were also indicted the same day for providing the bribes to Takahashi, 78.
He is accused of accepting bribes from five companies. Two of his acquaintances have also been indicted for receiving bribes, while 12 corporate officials were handed indictments for paying out the bribes.
The total amount is in the region of 200 million yen ($1.4 million).
Shinichi Ueno, 68, the former president of ADK Holdings Inc., a leading advertising agency, and two subordinates were indicted on a charge of providing around 14 million yen in bribes, the amount covered by the statute of limitations.
Yoshihiro Sekiguchi and Taiji Sekiguchi, two former presidents of Tokyo-based Sun Arrow Inc., which was chosen to manufacture and sell stuffed dolls based on the mascots for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, were also indicted on suspicion of providing about 2 million yen in bribes.
Joji Matsui, a golfing buddy of Takahashi who once headed the consulting firm Amuse, was also indicted for allowing the company to receive about 20 million from ADK Holdings and about 7 million from Sun Arrow. The money is believed to have then been siphoned off to Takahashi.
In the three previous indictments, Takahashi was accused of receiving 51 million yen from apparel maker Aoki Holdings Inc., about 76 million yen from publishing company Kadokawa Corp. and about 15 million yen from advertising agency Daiko Advertising Inc.
Tokyo Olympic exec arrested 4th time in bribery scandal
October 19, 2022
Tokyo Olympic exec arrested a third time in bribery scandal
September 27, 2022
Home of Aoki founder raided over alleged Olympics bribery
July 27, 2022
Kadokawa Corp. chair arrested, latest in Olympic bribery scandal
September 14, 2022
Prosecutors raid ad agency Daiko as Olympic bribe scandal expands
September 5, 2022
Olympic mascot seller questioned over pay to bribe suspect’s friend
September 23, 2022
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
