Japanese Olympic officials say $2-million payment was legitimate
Japan’s Olympics minister, Toshiaki Endo, center, leaves a budget committee session of the House of Councillors in Tokyo on Friday. Japan said it would question officials involved in Tokyo’s successful 2020 Olympics bid over a multimillion-dollar payment that is being probed by French investigators.
Japanese Olympic officials said Friday that the $2 million they transferred to a Singapore account -- money that has come under scrutiny -- was a legitimate payment for consulting services.
French authorities discovered the transaction, saying earlier this week that the 2020 Tokyo bid committee sent two installments to a company named Black Tidings during the months before and after Tokyo was awarded the Games.
Suspicions arose because Black Tidings has been linked to the son of Lamine Diack, the former international track official who is under investigation for alleged corruption.
The Japanese Olympic Committee said it has been in contact with the International Olympic Committee in regards to the money.
“The amounts paid were, in our opinion, proper and adequate for the services provided and gave no cause for suspicion at the time,” a statement said. “This message was conveyed to the IOC when these allegations first surfaced after a request for information from the IOC.”
The bid committee had employed Black Tidings for help with planning and promoting its campaign, officials said. Tokyo was selected as a host city over Istanbul and Madrid in 2013.
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