Ex - Tokyo Games Exec Investigated For 4th Bribery Case
Japanese prosecutors appear to be investigating a 4th bribery case tied to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games involving a former executive of the events' organizing committee.
Sources say Takahashi Haruyuki is suspected to have received cash from a company that sold licensed merchandise related to the Games' official mascots. He is believed to have told the organizing committee that licensing contract screenings were too strict.
The sources say Takahashi allegedly made remarks at the request of an executive of Sun Arrow.
Companies that want to sell licensed goods needed to gain approval from the International Olympic Committee and sign contracts with the organizing committee.
They also had to undergo screenings for the designs and colors of their products.
Sun Arrow signed the contract in 2018. Since then, it remitted money to a consulting firm headed by Takahashi's acquaintance on multiple occasions. Some of the money, about several million yen, is believed to have ended up in Takahashi's hands.
Tokyo prosecutors have already indicted him for two bribery cases over the Games' sponsorship deals involving apparel maker Aoki Holdings and publishing house Kadokawa. He is also under arrest for another case with advertisement agency Daiko. The total amount of bribes from the three companies is believed to top 140 million yen, or about 940,000 dollars.
Takahashi reportedly denies any wrongdoing in all three cases.