TOKYO OLYMPICS CORRUPTION - PART 13

 Olympics corruption, ADK remittance to dormant company President is a golf buddy of a former board member

In the corruption case surrounding the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, former director of the Games Organizing Committee Haruyuki Takahashi (78) = re-arrested on suspicion of bribery = A major advertising company "ADK Holdings" (Tokyo), which was raided by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Special Investigation Department as a related party, received a part of the compensation of about 37.5 million yen obtained from the agency work of the sponsor contract. Interviews with people involved revealed that the money was suspected of being sent to a consulting firm where a former board member's golf buddy serves as president. The consulting company is dormant, and it is possible that the former director directly instructed the former executive of ADK to send money.

It has already been found that the consulting company was also involved in the transfer of about 8 million yen that was alleged to have been provided to a former board member by Sun Arrow, a toy company that sold stuffed toys of the tournament mascot. Since the same company is involved in the transfer of funds between ADK and the toy company, it seems that the Special Investigation Department is aiming to clarify the full flow of funds through both routes, such as voluntarily asking the president of the consulting company about the situation.

According to the officials, ADK was subcontracted by the major advertising company Dentsu (the same) as a "dedicated agent" to collect sponsors under a sponsorship agreement with the parking lot service company "Park24" (the same). The subcontractor requires the approval of Dentsu and the organizing committee, and the former director is suspected of lobbying Dentsu for ADK to become a subcontractor. Park 24 is led by Tsunekazu Takeda, 74, former president of the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) and former vice chairman of the organizing committee.

Park24 became a sponsor in July 2018. Of the 1 billion yen in sponsorship money from the company to the organizing committee, about 75 million yen was paid to Dentsu, of which about 37.5 million yen was paid to ADK as compensation. The former director instructed ADK's executives at the time to remit part of their remuneration to the consulting company, and ADK actually transferred a large amount of money to the consulting company. The president of the consulting company is a former board member's university alumnus and is said to have had a friendship through golf.

The consulting company said that it had taken over its office from the building where it was registered at the time and was dormant, and the Special Investigation Department is investigating the possibility that funds may have been transferred from the consulting company to another person or organization at the direction of the former director.

On the other hand, Sun Arrow sold stuffed toys of the tournament mascots "Miraitowa" and "Someity" as officially licensed products, but it was necessary to sign a license agreement with the organizing committee to sell them. Around '18, the company's executives asked the former director to sign the contract as soon as possible, and the former director is suspected of lobbying the organizing committee. The company is said to have provided about 8 million yen to the former director through the same consulting company as ADK Route after the contract was signed. Sun Arrow executives also graduated from the same university as the former director and the president of the consulting company and had a relationship.

LOGO OF ADK HOLDINGS - JAPANESE PUBLISHING COMPANY

ADK said it would "refrain from answering questions about remittances to consulting companies because it is cooperating with the district attorney's investigation." Sun Arrow replied, "I will refrain from answering questions (in the interview)," and relatives of the president of the consulting company replied, "I can't answer anything."

In the Olympic corruption case, the Special Investigation Department has indicted or arrested three routes: AOKI Holdings (Yokohama City), KADOKAWA (Tokyo), and Ohiro (Osaka City), and both ADK and Sun Arrow routes are emerging as new suspicions.

KADOKAWA Chairman Announces Resignation, Indicted for Bribery Olympics Corruption

KADOKAWA Chairman Fumihiko Kadokawa, who was indicted by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Special Investigation Division on bribery charges in the Olympic corruption case on April 4, announced through his lawyers that he intends to resign from his chairmanship.

The main contents of Kadokawa's comments released by the defense team are as follows.

I have decided to resign from my position as Chairman of KADOKAWA today.

In the recent corruption case involving the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, I took the arrest and prosecution of not only myself but also two KADOKAWA employees as a very serious situation, and I thought it was necessary to take responsibility for it. This incident is a serious challenge for KADOKAWA, and in order to overcome it, I think it is necessary to face it with a new system.

I myself have never been involved in corruption, so in criminal trials, I would like to clarify the truth and make it clear that I am innocent, and I will do my utmost to that end.

Chairman Kadokawa claims innocence even if he resigns Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Special Investigation Department's view is Olympic corruption

In a corruption case related to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Special Investigation Department indicted the Tokyo District Court on the 4th against Tsuguhiko Kadokawa (79), chairman of the publishing giant "KADOKAWA" (Tokyo), for bribing Haruyuki Takahashi (78) = re-arrested on suspicion of bribery = former director of the organizing committee of the Games in return for facilitating the selection of sponsors for the Games. On the same day, Kadokawa announced through his lawyers that he intends to resign as chairman, claiming responsibility for the arrest and prosecution of three employees, including himself.

On the other hand, Kadokawa indicated that he had "never been involved in corruption" and would insist on his innocence at the trial. In addition, KADOKAWA will hold a press conference on the 5th, and President Tsuyoshi Natsuno will explain the incident.

According to the indictment, Chairman Kadokawa conspired with two defendants, Seyuki Yoshihara (64), who was an advisor to the company and managing director in charge of the Olympics, and Kyoji Maniwa (63), an employee of the company and former head of the Olympics office = both charged with bribery = and asked the former director to be selected as a sponsor within 380 million yen around April 2016 ~ March 2018. In return for receiving the favor, he allegedly gave a bribe totaling about 69 million yen on nine occasions from September '19 ~ January '21.

TSUGUHIKO KADOKAWA - FORMER CHAIRMAN OF KADOKAWA CORPORATION

It is said that a total of about 76 million yen was transferred from the company to the consulting company "Commons 2" (Tokyo), where Kazumasa Fukami (73) = re-arrested on suspicion of bribery = who is an acquaintance of the former director is the president, but the Special Investigation Department prosecuted only the amount where the statute of limitations for prosecution of bribery crimes (3 years) has not been established.

According to the officials, Chairman Kadokawa denied bribery, saying, "The remittance to Commons 2 is fair compensation for consulting services." It is said that the risk of bribery in sending money to Commons 2 was pointed out within the company, but the chairman explained that he had not received any reports from his subordinates. Yoshihara also denied the same charges, and it seems that former head of the office Maba admitted to bribery charges but denied collusion with the chairman.

On the other hand, the Special Investigation Department seems to have judged that it can prove Chairman Kadokawa's recognition of bribery based on the statement that a colleague of former head of the office Baba "explained the risk of remittance to the chairman."