Ex-Kadokawa Chairman Found Guilty in Tokyo Games Bribery Case

Tokyo, Jan. 22 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo District Court on Thursday sentenced an 82-year-old former chairman of major publisher Kadokawa Corp. to two and a half years in prison, suspended for four years, in a high-profile bribery case related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2021. Public prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of three years for Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, who pleaded not guilty. According to the indictment, the former chairman conspired with two former company officials to ask Haruyuki Takahashi, an 81-year-old former executive of the Tokyo Games organizing committee, for favors in the selection of sponsors and other matters. The two former officials have also been found guilty. The company side allegedly paid a total of 69 million yen to Takahashi between September 2019 and January 2021. During the trial, the prosecution argued that Kadokawa approved bribes to Takahashi while he was effectively leading the company at the time. They also said that his claims contradicted testimonies given by the two former officials. In his final statement, Kadokawa said that he was not in a position to receive direct reports from the two former officials. He reiterated his innocence, adding that he was falsely charged. A total of 15 people have been indicted in a series of corruption cases linked to the Tokyo Games. Of the 12 who allegedly offered bribes, the convictions of 11, excluding Kadokawa, have been finalized. Of the three people who allegedly accepted bribes, a guilty sentence has been finalized for one, while the other two, including Takahashi, are still on trial. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]