Kadokawa Chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa has been arrested by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office. Reuters reports that the 79-year old is suspected of bribing former 2020 Tokyo Olympics official Haruyuki Takahashi with 70 million yen (~US$487 thousand).
Kadokawa found itself linked to the Olympic bribery scandal earlier this month. On September 4, the Asahi Shimbun reported that Kadokawa officials were being interviewed by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, with the major publishing company suspected of using the aforementioned 70 million yen to bribe Takahashi into choosing it to be a Tokyo Games sponsor. Kadokawa was said to have paid the money to a Takahashi-linked consultancy.
According to the Associated Press, Kadokawa was able to publish programs and books related to the Tokyo Olympics as a sponsor. It also reported that former executives of the publishing company were arrested on September 6.
Takahashi was arrested in August on suspicion that he had received 51 million yen (~US$356 thousand) from fashion company Aoki Holdings Inc.. He was rearrested on September 6. Advertising firm Daiko was raided on the same date as part of the bribery investigation, although no arrests were made.
Source: Reuters
