Former Tokyo Olympics operations exec arrested over bid rigging
Tokyo prosecutors arrested the former executive, Yasuo Mori, on suspicion he played a leading role in rigging bids for contracts related to games test events in violation of the anti-monopoly law.
They also arrested Koji Hemmi, a former executive at Japanese ad giant Dentsu Inc., and officials Yoshiji Kamata and Masahiko Fujino from event production companies Cerespo Co. and Fuji Creative Corp., both firms that won contracts to plan test events.
Prosecutors also searched Wednesday the homes of Mori and Hemmi while Cerespo and Fuji Creative were also searched by the authorities in cooperation with the Japan Fair Trade Commission.
Mori, along with some people seconded from Dentsu and senior Dentsu officials, used a list of companies assigned to each test event for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games to arrange successful bidders, a source close to the matter said.
They exchanged emails with companies that prosecutors allege influenced the bidding process, the source said.
The former executive initially denied knowledge of the bid-rigging during questioning by prosecutors, but later admitted to the allegation after Dentsu officials said they colluded, the source said.
It is suspected the rigging took place in connection with 26 open bids held in 2018 for the rights to plan test events. These were awarded to nine companies, including Dentsu and fellow ad giant Hakuhodo Inc., as well as a consortium, for a total of 538 million yen ($4.1 million).
The test events -- held to give organizers and sporting federations a chance to trial operations, security and crowd control -- were held between 2018 and 2021 before the Summer Games went ahead after a one-year postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The companies that won bids to plan the test events went on to sign negotiated contracts to run both the pre-games events and competitions during the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The contracted amount totaled around 40 billion yen, the source said.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said the arrest of Mori was «extremely regrettable.» She said she has told the liquidation corporation for the now-dissolved committee to continue cooperating with the prosecutors' investigation.
The Japanese Olympic Committee said in a statement it takes the arrest «seriously.» «We are not aware of the details and will monitor the developments closely,» it said.
In the bribery scandal, Haruyuki Takahashi, former executive at the organizing committee, has been indicted four times on charges of receiving bribes totaling some 198 million yen in return for helping companies be selected as a sponsor or a marketing agent of the global event.
Takahashi, former senior managing director at Dentsu, had influence over the committee's marketing division which was charged with sponsorship selection, according to prosecutors.
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