The founder and former chairman of a business suit retailer has admitted that he paid bribes to win sponsorship rights for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The trial of Aoki Hironori and two others began at the Tokyo District Court on Thursday. It is the first trial to be held in a series of bribery cases related to the Games.
The two other defendants are the ex-chairman's brother and former vice chairman, Aoki Takahisa, and another former executive, Ueda Katsuhisa. They have also admitted to the charges.
The three are accused of paying bribes totaling 28 million yen, or about 210,000 dollars, to a former executive of the Tokyo Games' organizing committee, Takahashi Haruyuki.
Takahashi is a former executive of major advertising agency Dentsu, where he was in charge of sports marketing.
Prosecutors said in the trial's opening statement that the former head of the organizing committee, Mori Yoshiro, had entrusted Takahashi with the job of soliciting Games sponsors. Mori is a former Japanese prime minister.
The prosecutors said Takahashi used his authority as a committee executive to influence officials of Dentsu and other entities. Dentsu had been commissioned to arrange sponsorship.
They said Dentsu and committee officials tried to realize what Takahashi had proposed as much as possible.
The prosecutors said Takahashi floated the idea of sponsorship to the former chairman when they dined together, and Aoki accepted it on the spot, thinking it would enhance the retailer's brand image.
They said the Aoki side repeatedly asked Takahashi to select the firm as an official supporter of the Games at an early date. They said Takahashi strongly recommended to the committee that Aoki should be selected.
Aoki supplied uniforms to Japanese athletes after becoming an official supporter of the Games in 2018. It also sold jackets with the Games' emblem.
Takahashi has been indicted four times on charges of receiving nearly 200 million yen, or about 1.5 million dollars, in bribes from five firms. He was said to be a key figure in bringing the Games to Tokyo.
Investigators suspected he may have used his influence to obtain illegal profits. They looked into funds that may have gone to consulting firms run by Takahashi and his acquaintances.
Along with Takahashi, 14 other people have been indicted, including the three at Aoki Holdings.
They include former executives of five firms that include publishing house Kadokawa and advertising agency ADK Holdings.
The bribery scandal has led the northern city of Sapporo to suspend promotional activities for its bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
The trial of Aoki Hironori and two others began at the Tokyo District Court on Thursday. It is the first trial to be held in a series of bribery cases related to the Games.
The two other defendants are the ex-chairman's brother and former vice chairman, Aoki Takahisa, and another former executive, Ueda Katsuhisa. They have also admitted to the charges.
The three are accused of paying bribes totaling 28 million yen, or about 210,000 dollars, to a former executive of the Tokyo Games' organizing committee, Takahashi Haruyuki.
Takahashi is a former executive of major advertising agency Dentsu, where he was in charge of sports marketing.
Prosecutors said in the trial's opening statement that the former head of the organizing committee, Mori Yoshiro, had entrusted Takahashi with the job of soliciting Games sponsors. Mori is a former Japanese prime minister.
The prosecutors said Takahashi used his authority as a committee executive to influence officials of Dentsu and other entities. Dentsu had been commissioned to arrange sponsorship.
They said Dentsu and committee officials tried to realize what Takahashi had proposed as much as possible.
The prosecutors said Takahashi floated the idea of sponsorship to the former chairman when they dined together, and Aoki accepted it on the spot, thinking it would enhance the retailer's brand image.
They said the Aoki side repeatedly asked Takahashi to select the firm as an official supporter of the Games at an early date. They said Takahashi strongly recommended to the committee that Aoki should be selected.
Aoki supplied uniforms to Japanese athletes after becoming an official supporter of the Games in 2018. It also sold jackets with the Games' emblem.
Takahashi has been indicted four times on charges of receiving nearly 200 million yen, or about 1.5 million dollars, in bribes from five firms. He was said to be a key figure in bringing the Games to Tokyo.
Investigators suspected he may have used his influence to obtain illegal profits. They looked into funds that may have gone to consulting firms run by Takahashi and his acquaintances.
Along with Takahashi, 14 other people have been indicted, including the three at Aoki Holdings.
They include former executives of five firms that include publishing house Kadokawa and advertising agency ADK Holdings.
The bribery scandal has led the northern city of Sapporo to suspend promotional activities for its bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
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Summary
Business suit retailer founder Aoki Hironori, along with two others, admitted to paying bribes for Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games sponsorship rights. The trial began at the Tokyo District Court, marking the first in a series of related bribery cases. Accused of a 28 million yen bribe, they
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ID: 9535c334-ad78-438b-9594-d95f5b6202a7
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221222_26/
Date: Dec. 22, 2022
Created: 2022/12/22 18:22
Updated: 2025/12/09 10:05
Last Read: 2022/12/22 18:28