Tokyo Olympics manager arrested on bribery allegations

A Tokyo Olympics board member was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of bribery, prosecutors said, along with three other men linked to the scandal.

Haruyuki Takahashi reportedly received $380,000 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’s chairman Hironori Aoki, 83, and two other executives at the retailer, according to Tokyo Procuratorate documents obtained by AFP.

They accuse Takahashi of accepting bribes “with the understanding that they were meant as a thank you for the beneficial and preferential treatment” he bestowed on Aoki.

According to prosecutors, between October 2017 and March 2022, Takahashi transferred a total of 51 million yen ($380,000 at today’s rates) to the bank account of a company he runs in more than 50 transactions.

The arrests come after Takahashi’s Tokyo home was searched by investigators last month, according to Japanese media, including raids on Aoki chairman’s home and the defunct office of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.

Takahashi, a former executive at Japan’s largest advertising agency Dentsu, has been a Tokyo 2020 board member since June 2014.

During this time he was reportedly considered a quasi-official, not permitted to accept money or gifts related to his position.

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee ceased operations last month but is still present to deal with assets and liabilities.

The Tokyo Olympics took place in 2021 after an unprecedented one-year delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Stadiums were largely empty, with fans locked down due to rising viral infections in Japan.