Share

Japan Olympic chief denies bribery after France indictment

Tokyo - Japan's Olympic Committee chief Tsunekazu Takeda on Friday denied bribery or any wrongdoing after being indicted in France for corruption linked to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid.

Takeda said he had cooperated with a judge at a hearing in Paris on an unspecified date and "explained that I was not involved in any wrongdoing such as bribery."

A French judicial source told AFP that Takeda was indicted on December 10 by investigating magistrates looking into a suspect payment of nearly 2 million made before the Japanese capital was chosen to host the Olympics.

The French investigation, launched in 2016, relates to two payments made to a firm linked to the son of the Senegalese former head of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The payments were made in two stages, before and after the IOC vote that decided the host city.

Takeda said "it appeared that no new facts" had come out during the Paris hearing with the judge.

He added that "wrong information that I was indicted has been shared," and pledged he would "cooperate with investigations to clear up any doubts."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE