Takahashi Told Aoki of Games Sponsor Decision Year in Advance

Tokyo, Aug. 18 (Jiji Press)--Haruyuki Takahashi, a former executive board member of the Tokyo Games organizing committee, allegedly told Aoki Holdings Inc. <8214> that the Japanese apparel maker had been informally chosen as an official sponsor, a year before the official announcement, sources familiar with the situation said Thursday.

Takahashi, who was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of receiving bribes from the Aoki side in return for giving favors over sponsorship selection, had told former Aoki Chairman Hironori Aoki and others about the informal decision around summer 2017, the sources said.

This was about a year before the organizing committee and the company announced the signing of an official supporter contract and few months before Takahashi started receiving money from the Aoki side, which public prosecutors believe was bribes disguised as consulting fees.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, Takahashi told prosecutors before his arrest that he offered a sponsorship contract to the former Aoki chairman around summer 2018 after advertising firm Dentsu Inc., which handled sponsorship applications, failed to find a sponsor.

Takahashi told prosecutors that the former Aoki chairman agreed to the offer willingly and that he relayed the agreement to the head of the organizing committee's marketing division, according to the sources.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]