2020 Tokyo Olympic chief says payments legitimate consulting fees

Ah, they were 'consulting fees'... Reminds me of those Olympus Games

The same consultancy is also under suspicion for covering up doping by athletes. The Japanese seem to have chosen extremely shady folks to do business with.

No one can be surprised that the IOC, and by extension, the JOC, are in the business of corruption and bribery. It almost seems as if it was set up with the purpose of making some easy money and getting its members some sugar for retirement.

I suppose in the olden days, when entertainment was hard to come by, the Olympics were a huge thing, but thankfully tue games seems to lose importance. Nowadays, it seems the only ones really interested in hosting them (and ruining its country's finances) are despotic, totalitarian states.

Consulting, my eye.

Con. Sult Fee

it could be consultant's fee, no one silly enough to wire money and labelled it as "tokyo 2020 olympic games bid" on the transaction if related to corruption.

If they ae "legitimate" then why the attempted cover up by using a Singaporean consultant and what exact consultancy did Mr Diack provide. This doesn't pass the sniff test, I just hope the Japanese media turns up the gas on this lump of pork

it could be consultant's fee, no one silly enough to wire money and labelled it as "tokyo 2020 olympic games bid" on the transaction if related to corruption.

To a dummy shell company in Singapore? When the money is supposed to end up in France? Yeah people are "silly" enough.

The head of the Istanbul 2020 Olympic bid that lost out to Tokyo has said that the 2020 Games may have to be staged in London if a French criminal investigation concludes that the Japanese made illegal payments to the company at the centre of the athletics corruption scandal.

On Thursday the French financial prosecutor confirmed that they have launched an inquiry into two payments from a Japanese bank account called ‘Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game Bid’ to the Singapore-based Black Tidings company already suspected by French financial investigators of laundering money extorted from drug cheats in athletics.

“The payments mentioned in the media were a legitimate consultant’s fee”...... Japanese Olympic Committee president Tsunakazu Takeda.

Report and present fully, supplying detailed supporting documentation the work carried that warranted payment of a $2 million consultants fee to the ‘Black Tidings’ company in Singapore.

Suga and Endo both said they were confident that no wrongdoing occurred, based on previous declarations by officials

Olympic Minister Toshiaki Endo, and Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga both would be medal contenders for haplessly incompetence. At least make an attempt to learn or investigate the facts before foolishly making public statements.

Hey its just business done J style.

"Suga and Endo both said they were confident that no wrongdoing occurred, based on previous declarations by officials"

That's Toshiaki Endo, busted by the Sankei Shimbun in 2013 for taking money from a meat company and busted by the Mainichi Shimbun this year for taking money from Interac. Bent, utterly bent. What a farce.

Two million bucks for consultations? Sign me up!

These 'fees' may very well have been legitimate by Japanese standards. It's only the rest of the world that sees them as bribes and grafts.

It all seems so ridiculous....

1) Why use a third party known to launder money?

2) Why hire someone who was at that tome involved in the IOC? Surely there were many other professionals available?

3) What in the actual hell nets 2 million for consulting? We are not talking about expensive military or medical equipment here...

Ultimately though, if there are no reprecussions then why should anyone involved care? If Japan had the possibility of having the Olympic games stripped, it might be big news...but as it is, we can expect what? A lot of "sorry you caught us, I will bow my head and vow to take action to look into making steps towards a program that will ensure that it never happens again"?

“We would like to reaffirm that the Olympic Games 2020 were awarded to Tokyo as the result of a fair competition and as a result of the contents of the brown envelope,” Takeda said in a statement.

Fixed...

...Oh, we can't judge since we cannot fathom the Japanese culture.

So, the payments that were never made, and needed to be kept from the public, were "legitimate", eh? This will go the usual Japanese route.

So first the payments didn't exist. Now that we can't deny their existence they were legitimate consulting fees. Paid to the son of one of the people making decisions about who would get the Olympics. Total coincidence there. Oh and also both father and son have now been charged with corruption in France. Again, total coincidence.

Am I getting the facts straight here? This is just so blatant it almost feels like they are making it too easy to connect the corruption dots.

This was one of three stories on the news last night featuring lying, cheating, unethical suits. It made me wonder how many more there are who don't get caught.

Hey its just business done J style.

Just Japanese style?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Winter_Olympic_bid_scandal

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-3494894/FIFA-launch-fightback-reclaim-millions-dollars-lost-corruption-revelations.html

Oh, we can't judge since we cannot fathom the Japanese culture.

You don't need to fathom Japanese culture. Look at FIFA. It's mostly Europeans. Do you have some reason to believe that Japanese corruption would require a different explanation compared to European (or American) corruption?

Am I getting the facts straight here? This is just so blatant it almost feels like they are making it too easy to connect the corruption dots.

I have been thinking the same thing.

And, even if there was corruption, look at the positive aspect. The guy heading the company to which the payment made is black. To me that shows the Japanese can recognize talent and ability whatever the color of the person providing the services. That's good, is it not?

This country is run by crooks. Before spending $2 million on "consulting" surely there was some sort of tendering process? Questions that must be answered include: Where was the invitation to tender advertised? What were the "consulting" companies asked to do? How many companies submitted bids and for how much?

Mr Takeda claims that "All these services were properly contracted using accepted business practices", so he should have no problem answering these questions.

In the meantime, Suga should keep his mouth shut as he doesn't know what he's talking about (as usual).

This is just so blatant it almost feels like they are making it too easy to connect the corruption dots.

The timing's a bit odd. Right before the Rio Olympics?

Hosting the Olympic Games and Paralympics is the host city's PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT! Now with this latest news, Tokyo has good as well lost that privilege!

But Takeda said the money was for “professional services” for consultation work including “the planning of the bid, tutoring on presentation practice, advice for international lobbying communications and service for information and media analysis”.

“All these services were properly contracted using accepted business practices,” said Takeda. “Furthermore, the amounts paid were in our opinion proper and adequate for the services provided and gave no cause for suspicion at the time.”

Could we please be told exactly what 'the services provided' consisted of, detailing how and why the money, the tax payer's money, was spent?

Maybe the 2020 Olympics can be staged in London,Madrid or Vancouver. it doesn't matter..

One thing is for sure: WHEN it comes to light that Tokyo obtained the bid through dishonest means, there will be 2 choices:

let the Olympics go on as planned and allow it to lose ALOT of respect, not to mention the meaning or purpose OR do the right thing and find another host city.

Look, if the hosts cheated to win the bid, can we really punish the athletes if they do the same during the competitions? What message are we sending out?

presto345 MAY. 14, 2016 - 11:52AM JST Could we please be told exactly what 'the services provided' consisted of, detailing how and why the money, the tax payer's money, was spent?

For Japanese, it might be right and a defined clear contract. In other countries, it might be define defined differently. Japanese might be right.

If payments were legitimate, 'Japanese' bank should disclose its name and make things transparent for French investigators, IOC,/JOC and related agencies.

This news is all over social media now.

I highly suggest that Tokyo be stripped off its privilege to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 2020 Olympics should be hosted in London, LA or another Asian city other than Tokyo.

WesternerJapan87MAY. 14, 2016 - 01:31PM JSTI highly suggest that Tokyo be stripped off its privilege to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Where is the proof that there is a problem. In a court of law, there is due process.

This news is all over social media now. I highly suggest that Tokyo be stripped off its privilege to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

I have been reading hundreds of angry comments on Japanese social media sites. So far, roughly 80% of the commentators are calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be called off.

TessaMAY. 14, 2016 - 01:42PM JST I have been reading hundreds of angry comments on Japanese social media sites. So far, roughly 80% of the commentators are calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be called off.

So where is the evidence?

I have been reading hundreds of angry comments on Japanese social media sites. So far, roughly 80% of the commentators are calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be called off.

That doesn't mean that 80% of the people think the Olympics should be called off. Remember, angry people and whiners are much more likely to take to the internet, and be loud about it.

StrangerlandMAY. 14, 2016 - 01:53PM JST That doesn't mean that 80% of the people think the Olympics should be called off. Remember, angry people and whiners are much more likely to take to the internet, and be loud about it.

Where is the evidence that they are angry about? Or are they storm chasers?

I have been reading hundreds of angry comments on Japanese social media sites. So far, roughly 80% of the commentators are calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be called off.

I talked to a lot of my colleagues about this new scandal yesterday. Most of them said that they're not interested in the Tokyo Olympics and that it will add to the public debt, which already stands at 250% of Japan's GDP. Some of them said that it will be a chance to Japan to revive itself.

My stance on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (if it is held, that is) is that it will be a month of excitement, and after that, there will be very little future return on investment. With the global economy getting worse and worse, it seems like less than expected number of tourists will spend big money when they arrive in Japan in 2020. And more tourists/spectators in Tokyo isn't exactly better. It will only make Tokyo that much more crowded and chaotic, and there may be unwanted influences in the local area.

From a purely economic standpoint, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is a poor idea. The vast majority of recent past Olympics host cities have reported negative consequences from hosting the Olympic Games.

@WesternerJapan

Japan has 125 million people. It is suppose to be a democratic country. Why did it put it to the voters to see if they would like to have Olympics in Tokyo? Let voters decide since they are eventually paying for the massive debt?

So where is the evidence?

The evidence has already been found by French prosecutors and once the final analysis is undertaken then Tokyo may be stripped off its title to host the 2020 Olympics.

WesternerJapan87 MAY. 14, 2016 - 02:04PM JST The evidence has already been found by French prosecutors and once the final analysis is undertaken then Tokyo may be stripped off its title to host the 2020 Olympics.

Maybe it's the best thing of moving from Toking and getting rid of debts. Where are you going to move it to? Oh no? No other option but to keep in Tokyo? How do you enforce your evidence and move to another city?

consultant’s fee to best explain why Japans bid was better than everybody else's

Where is the evidence that they are angry about? Or are they storm chasers?

I'm not sure what you are asking here.

The evidence has already been found by French prosecutors and once the final analysis is undertaken then Tokyo may be stripped off its title to host the 2020 Olympics.

To be honest, I'd be happy to see this happen. Japan has been getting away with too much for too long.

@Tessa

If they have the evidence, do you see French prosecutors want to move the Olympics to other cities?

The day an honest word comes out of Suga's mouth will be the day Abe visits Nanjing or Manchuria.

I hate to say it but this happens in some form or another at every Olympics. Sochi was one of the most corrupt Olympics in recent memory and in the end nothing substantive came out of it (legally anyway). It's unfortunate but nothing will come of this. Punishing Japan for this would mean they would have to go after every single country that's hosted the Olympics basically since WWII. Japan's not in the right here, but they're hardly the worst offenders. The whole system is a joke, tbh.

“The payments mentioned in the media were a legitimate consultant’s fee.”

We appreciate Japan's view on the topic but It is up to the French prosecutors to investigate and then decide if this is legitimate or not regarding France's laws, gladly there are still countries were corruption is a crime, bribers criminals and prosecutors doing their job.