Sources: Aoki Official Kept Records Of Suspects' Talks In Games' Bribery Case
Sources say business suit retailer Aoki Holdings kept records of conversations by suspects in a bribery case for a Tokyo Games sponsorship contract.
Tokyo prosecutors have arrested the firm's former chairman, Aoki Hironori, and two others on suspicion of bribing a former executive of the Tokyo Games' organizing committee, Takahashi Haruyuki, with about 380,000 dollars. Takahashi is also under arrest. The four suspects have denied the allegations.
The former Aoki executives are thought to have frequently dined with Takahashi in Tokyo from January 2017. They are believed to have made several requests about the sponsorship, such as sales promotions for officially licensed products.
Sources told NHK that a high-ranking employee of Aoki Holdings made a chronological list of the meetings' dates and times. The employee is also said to have created documents of what each participant said. Audio recordings were also made of some of the meetings.
Prosecutors are believed to have seized the documents and audio data and are analyzing them.
Aoki has reportedly said that he didn't view Takahashi as a public official. Executives of the Tokyo Games organizing committee are regarded as civil servants, and under Japan's criminal code they are not allowed to accept money or gifts related to their duties.