Another arrest in Tokyo Olympics bribery case

Businessman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa was apprehended on Wednesday morning

Tokyo’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has arrested one other determine in relation to bribes that have been allegedly made to a former government member of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games’ organizing committee, in keeping with Japanese media.

Kadokawa chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa was apprehended on Wednesday morning on suspicion of providing bribes totaling 69 million yen ($482,000) to former Dentsu government and distinguished Japanese sports activities determine Haruyaki Takahashi, who’s at present the main focus of a bribery scandal that continues to develop. 

According to JT, Kadokawa is suspected of transferring the funds from the media conglomerate’s checking account to a consulting agency led by former Dentsu worker Kazumasa Fukami from September 2019 to January 2021.

The funds have been allegedly a reward for the writer being chosen as a sponsor for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in April 2019, which noticed Kadokawa go on to publish official guidebooks and information.

Kadokawa’s arrest is the third high-profile one made in current months after Takahashi and the founding father of fellow Tokyo 2020 sponsor Aoki Holdings, Hironi Aoki, have been introduced into custody in August.

Along with two others, Takahashi and Aoki have been indicted in relation to separate bribery allegations involving bungs of round 51 million yen ($356,000).

Tokyo prosecutors rearrested Takahashi and arrested Fukami for the primary time along with ex-Kadokawa government Toshiyuki Yoshihara and present Kadokawa worker Kyoji Maniwa for suspected bribery.

Ex-Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s title has additionally been dragged into the scandal, with the ex-organizing committee member who needed to resign over sexist remarks voluntarily questioned by prosecutors, in keeping with Japan Times sources who’re stated to be near the fallout. 

Due to the statute of limitations in prosecuting a bribery suspect being three years, the amount of cash in query for the transfers that Takahashi and Fukami allegedly received Kadokawa to hold out has been set at 69 million yen ($482,000).

In addition, Fukami’s consulting agency was additionally allegedly used to obtain cash from Daiko Advertising, whose places of work have been raided final week.

While pushing the organizing committee to make use of Daiko Advertising as a sponsor, investigators imagine that Daiko paid greater than 10 million yen ($70,000) in bribes to Takahashi.

With some sections of the Japanese public opposing the holding of the Games and taking to the streets to protest towards them within the build-up, the rising bribery scandal solely threatens to proceed tarnishing their legacy.