Former Tokyo Games director served new term in corruption case

Tokyo, Sept. 6 (Jiji Press)–Prosecutors on Tuesday issued a new arrest warrant for Haruyuki Takahashi, a former executive of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Organizing Committee, for allegedly receiving bribes -wine from Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corp. as part of a sponsorship contract for the Games.

The Tokyo District Attorney’s Office suspects that Takahashi, 78, received around 76 million yen in bribes in return for his role as mediator for Kadokawa to win the contract.

The prosecutors’ office arrested Toshiyuki Yoshihara, a 64-year-old former Kadokawa chief executive, and Kyoji Maniwa, a 63-year-old former Kadokawa executive in charge of Tokyo Games-related business, on suspicion of bribing Takahashi.

Prosecutors’ office investigators raided locations including the home of Kadokawa chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa and the company’s headquarters, both in Tokyo, looking for evidence.

Kazumasa Fukami, a 73-year-old acquaintance of Takahashi who runs a consulting firm, was also arrested on suspicion of taking bribes.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]