Kadokawa Chairman Denies Reward Money to Ex-Tokyo Games Exec

Tokyo, Sept. 5 (Jiji Press)--The chairman of Kadokawa Corp. <9468> on Monday denied that the Japanese publisher paid some 70 million yen to a consulting firm headed by an acquaintance of an arrested former Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee executive as reward money for him.

"I don't think the money was a reward at all and that it was given" to the former organizing committee executive, Haruyuki Takahashi, said Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, chairman of the publisher.

It was natural to ask for a favor from Takahashi as he was an organizing committee executive, Kadokawa said.

In April 2019, the publisher concluded a sponsorship contract with the organizing committee for the publishing sector. Soon after signing the contract, Kadokawa started paying fees to the consulting firm.

The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office suspects that Takahashi, arrested last month in a bribery scandal over the Games, received part of the 70 million yen.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]