Kshs 45m bribery allegations land Tokyo Olympics executive in trouble
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 17.08.22. | 12:41
The arrests came after Takahashi's Tokyo home was raided last month by investigators, according to Japanese media.
A board member for the Tokyo Olympics was, on Wednesday 17 August, arrested alongside three other men on suspicion of taking bribes amounting to Ksh 45 million ($380,000).
Haruyuki Takahashi allegedly received the amount from high-street business suit retailer Aoki Holdings, an official partner of last year's pandemic-delayed 2020 Games.
The 78-year-old was arrested along with Aoki chairman Hironori Aoki, 83, and two other executives from the retailer on accusations of accepting bribes "with the understanding they were meant as thank-you money for the beneficial and preferential treatment" he bestowed on Aoki.
A former senior managing director of #Dentsu, #HaruyukiTakahashi, an executive of the #TokyoOlympic organizing committee was arrested by prosecutors Wednesday on suspicion of receiving bribes from major business suit retailer #AokiHoldings, according to media source. #Japan pic.twitter.com/tOUkWey1md
— かわたる (@kawataru_j) August 17, 2022
According to the prosecutors, Takahashi had a total of 51 million yen ($380,000 at today's rates) transferred to the bank account of a company he runs, in more than 50 transactions between October 2017 and March 2022.
The arrests came after Takahashi's Tokyo home was raided last month by investigators, according to Japanese media, with searches also conducted at the Aoki chairman's home and the disbanded Tokyo 2020 organising committee office.
Takahashi, a former executive at Japan's biggest advertising agency, Dentsu, served on the Tokyo 2020 board from June 2014. During that time, he was reportedly considered a quasi-civil servant who was not permitted to accept money or gifts related to his position.
Haruyuki Takahashi, Dentsu man, and former director of the Olympic Organising Committee, has been arrested for taking bribes from suit retailer Aoki in relation to the Games. https://t.co/G7a7wmqAJu
— Mulboyne (@Mulboyne) August 17, 2022
The Tokyo 2020 organising committee wound down operations last month, but it maintains a presence to deal with assets and liabilities. The Tokyo Olympics were held in 2021 after an unprecedented one-year delay because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Stadiums were largely empty with fans banned over surging virus infections in Japan.
© Agence France-Presse
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