Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, chairman of KADOKAWA, a major publishing company, was arrested on suspicion of bribery in a corruption case involving sponsorship contracts for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Interviews with people involved revealed that there was a suspicion that he had in fact accepted the payment of the alleged funds.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office special investigation department is proceeding with the investigation toward the deadline for detention on the 4th.
According to people involved, Chairman Kadokawa has denied the allegations.
KADOKAWA chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa (79) offered a bribe to Haruyuki Takahashi (78), a former director of the organizing committee, as a reward for receiving benefits in selecting a sponsor for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. He was arrested last month by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Department on suspicion of bribery.
KADOKAWA signed a sponsorship contract with the Organizing Committee for a sponsorship of 280 million yen in 2019, and the Special Investigation Department later paid a consulting fee of 76 million yen to a company represented by an acquaintance of the former director. I believe that the yen was a bribe to the former director.
It is said that the chairman's approval was not required for this payment, but chairman Kadokawa reported at an internal meeting in 2018, the year before the sponsorship contract was signed, where officers discussed important management matters before the board of directors. In an interview with the person concerned, it was newly found that there was a suspicion that he had actually accepted the request.
The Special Investigation Department is proceeding with the final investigation toward the detention deadline of 4 days.
According to people involved, Chairman Kadokawa has consistently denied the charges.