Two companies, including advertising giant Dentsu, were searched by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office and others on the 25th in a bid-rigging case involving bids related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics test competitions. NHK's coverage revealed that the company had received orders of at least 7 billion yen in the form of free contracts.
The Special Investigation Department and the Fair Trade Commission are believed to be investigating the suspicion that orders were adjusted between vendors in order to secure profits in operations such as the tournament.
The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is suspected of collusion with multiple vendors regarding bidding for work related to test competitions for each sport ordered by the Organizing Committee of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. On the 25th, the District Public Prosecutors Office and the Japan Fair Trade Commission searched the head office of advertising giant Dentsu and the head office of event production company Cerespo in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, on suspicion of violating the Antimonopoly Act.
In 2018, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee conducted 26 bids to select contractors to outsource the planning of the test tournament, and nine companies including Dentsu and one joint venture won the bid for a total of more than 500 million yen. .
After that, it was reported that these contractors received orders for the operation and operation of test competitions of the same sport and the operation of the final competition for a total of 19.2 billion yen in the form of negotiated contracts without bidding. I found out from the NHK coverage.
Of these, the order amount was the largest for "Celespo" with a total of more than 5.5 billion yen, and Dentsu and its group companies also received orders for a total of about 2.2 billion yen.
The Special Investigation Department and the Fair Trade Commission are believed to be investigating the suspicion that orders were adjusted between vendors during the test competition in order to secure profits from operations such as the main competition. increase.
Two companies that were searched commented that they would "cooperate fully"
Regarding the search, Dentsu commented on the 25th, "We will fully cooperate with the investigation to clarify the whole story."
Cerespo also commented, "We will fully cooperate with the investigation by the authorities."
One of Cerespo's executives told NHK that the company was not involved in fraud or bid-rigging.