Photo/Illutration Officials from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office enter the head office of ADK Holdings Inc. on Oct. 19. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Shinichi Ueno, former president of advertising agency ADK Holdings Inc., has changed his tune and is now expected to admit to charges of bribing a Tokyo Olympic official, sources said.

His trial is expected to start in mid-February.

Ueno, 68, and two subordinates were arrested in October on suspicion of bribing Haruyuki Takahashi, 78, a former senior official of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, to help ADK win a deal to handle the contracts of corporate sponsorships.

The two subordinates admitted to the allegations and were released on bail in November. But Ueno denied any wrongdoing.

He changed his mind after his bail request was rejected in January, the sources said, and he is now expected to plead guilty when his trial opens.

According to indictment, Ueno colluded with the two subordinates and asked Takahashi to help the advertising agency win that Olympic-related deal.

Ueno then paid a total of 14.85 million yen ($115,000) to a consulting company run by Takahashi from November 2019 to January 2022.

Ueno initially told investigators that the money was not a bribe. He said payments of 550,000 yen, including taxes, were made each month based on a consultation contract with Takahashi’s company for sports business in general.

Takahashi has been indicted on charges of receiving bribes in exchange for giving special treatment to companies over official Olympic sponsorships and the rights to sell licensed products during the Summer Games.

Fifteen people have been indicted in the scandal.

In December, the first trial hearing in the scandal was held. A former chairman of clothing company Aoki Holdings Inc. and other company officials admitted to bribing Takahashi.

Takahashi has continued to deny the allegations. He was granted bail in late December over health concerns.

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