Probe of IOC's Takeda hangs over Tokyo Olympics

Bribery is common practice here. It's just a little more dressed up.

"The case is causing tremendous concern among the people who are supporting the Tokyo Games," Takeda said. "But I will continue to cooperate in the investigation in order to clear any suspicion of me."

He probably shouldn't visit France anytime soon. Otherwise, the French will detain him indefinitely, interrogate him without his lawyer present, and deny him bail.

Oh, wait. France doesn't do that.

So, Ghosn rots in detention, unable to defend himself, and Takeda gets to hold a press conference to profess his innocence.

What a sham!!

So, do the right thing and step down, to take the focus off of you.

You may think that paying money for services not rendered (or maybe rendered) isn't a bribe, but the world works differently.

This news makes me very happy.

1,400 Olympic dignitaries

about sums up the 5-ringed Circus for me.....

what was that about "bread and circuses"?

Should be quite simple to clear up this little misunderstanding.

Just produce the itemized bill for the consulting work done.

Two million dollars (of tax payers money) should be easily accounted for.

Unless...........

Ghosn is a Brazilian-born Frenchman, and several papers suggested that France could be getting even for Japan's treatment of Ghosn.

Typical of Japanese media and people here too. Deflect the discussion away from Takeda and dont talk about whether it could be a fact, Takeda being guilty that is.

Lies are easier to sell.

The article above leaves out an important statement reported in most news about this elsewhere:

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has opened its own ethics probe into the matter, but issued a statement today saying that Takeda "continues to enjoy the full presumption of innocence."

Very interesting.

2020 Olympics should be called off if such bribery really happened to win Olympic host? Penalty is to forget 2020 and better go forward next 2024 that is only in 5 years. Seems not bad.

Takeda has been charged but does not face any trial yet. No risk of being arrested if he goes to France.

Difference with Ghosn case is that the JOC paid and he did not get any personal benefits.

I'm shocked, SHOCKED to learn that there could be anything shady about the 2020 Olympics.

takeda should drop out of sight the guy needs to face the music!

Ghosn is a Brazilian-born Frenchman, and several papers suggested that France could be getting even for Japan's treatment of Ghosn. "France Retaliates for Ghosn Case?" said a headline in the magazine Aera, which is published by Asahi. The Tokyo Shimbun ran with the strongest headline: "Tokyo Olympics in Shock and Turmoil.

Retaliates? Takeda condition is much better than Ghosn, he still walk freely right?

Takeda just one of IOC members that being investigated which lead to bribery case. Other members have been investigated too, some of them already being suspended.

Three IOC members are now suspended: Sheikh Ahmad of Kuwait, Patrick Hickey of Ireland, and Frankie Fredericks of Namibia

Agree with many commenters here.

In this case I still have no idea whether Ghosn is innocent or guilty but the difference in the way Mr. Ghosn is being treated compared to this guy (with alleged Yakuza ties) is dramatic and shameful.

It seems that Takeda's case is very irrelevant from Ghosn's case. Japanese prosecutors just do what they have do here and French prosecutors just do what they have to do there. French police better arrest Takeda if they need him. Plain and simple.

takeda should be locked up immediately so as to prevent him tampering with evidence and shouldn't be allowed to fly anywhere.

If Japan did unfair bid activity of the Olympic host, the host privilege should be deprived. If athlete did doping to win the game, his/her medal will be deprived sooner or later. It seems the bid activity is a part of Olympics. so 2020 should be called off to show the right thing to the world. Unfair bid activity is as same as doping.

French police better arrest Takeda if they need him. Plain and simple.

well actually no, in a proper democratic legal system they have to gather evidence first and when they have enought evidence that they think will convince a judge/jury of a persons guilt , they arrest them then bail is set and the accused, if they pay can sit at his home in comfort until the trial. In Japan well everybodys a flight risk so they keep them detained until they confess, with no chance of bail

There is too much money and politics at stake to allow the relatively tiny issue of a 2M$ bribe to derail a multi-billion dollar event. The Lords of the Rings and the "Olympic village" won't let it happen. A token suspension or ban for a few years might be the best that people will get. Just look at FIFA and Sepp Blatter as an example.

This news makes me very happy.

Why?

I don't wish it to be true. I hope it's false, because the less crime and graft in the world, the better.

If it is true, then Takeda should face consequences.

But wishing it to be true = there's something for the wisher to be gained from it. (Validation for anti-Japan sentiments, perhaps?)

I have no such agenda. I just want the truth.

Why France? Why this time? Why didn't any other country discover anything? France is not the only member of the IOC. Why did France wait until now after Ghosn had been arrested?  What if Ghosn had not been arrested?  There is too much coincidence to not doubt the French's motive!

kwatt

2020 should be called off to show the right thing to the world.

Tokyo made the best bid and got it. Period. I am sure people all over the world will watch the 2020 Games. But if you don't like it, you personally can call off your biological vision of it by shutting your 2 eyes and blocking your 2 ears to prevent the sight and noise of the "unfair" Olympics from spoiling your pure soul.  Hold your standards high by not going to see any games live or turning off your TV during the Games in 2020 to live up to your "nobility!"

I wonder how mixed up Abe is in all this.

More likely there are so many corruption scandals and investigations, that for two to riff off each other was bound to happen eventually and is not a conspiracy

I don't understand how "shock ran through people working on the Tokyo Olympics."  I remember reading about preliminary investigations by French authorities into this matter at least two or three years ago.  The only thing that has left these people shocked, "perplexed, and flabbergasted" is this investigation is gaining more traction and broader exposure rather than being something that could be swept under the rug or held within the confines of the Tokyo Olympic Committee as their dirty little secret.

Why France? Why this time? Why didn't any other country discover anything? France is not the only member of the IOC. Why did France wait until now after Ghosn had been arrested? What if Ghosn had not been arrested? There is too much coincidence to not doubt the French's motive!

France has been investigating this case for more than a year and to link it as revenge to the Ghosn case is a fat lie. It is really shocking that J papers will get carried away by nationalism and get so low.

Ghosn is a Brazilian-born Frenchman, and several papers suggested that France could be getting even for Japan's treatment of Ghosn.

Thats what I said before...

Olympics should go to a developing country in Africa, How many games went to a developing country? Zero, always just wealthy countries..

This scandal of the stadium was never reported here either:

https://www.dezeen.com/2016/01/14/zaha-hadid-copyright-unpaid-japanese-stadium-designs-tokyo-2020-olympics/

2020 Tokyo Bribed Olimpic Games - sounds warukunai!

Or, 2020 Tokyo Bribed Olympics.

The IOC is running out of cities to swoop down and feed off of.

Suggest moving the summer Olympics back to Athens and the Winter Olympics up to, for instance, Oslo in the snowbound winter regions of Europe.

Great grandson of meji is hardly as distant relative more like the arrival is trying to distant him from the royal family...

Wasn’t there some news a few years ago about a quid pro quo connecting the Brazil World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics? Something like you give us your votes and we’ll give you ours?

Another idea would be for Istanbul to sue Tokyo for a few billion dollars for undermining an otherwise clean game.

Why?

Because you can only go so long getting away with being corrupt. What goes around comes around.

Intlobserver

Tokyo made the best bid and got it. Period. 

Tokyo made the unfair bid and got it. That's why Japan is very criticized. but it seems you don't care about bid is fair or not and about more coming unfair bids for 20xx Olympics.

muda

 "presumption of innocence."

Yes, very interesting, as you put it: a political and ethical concept, that certainly deserves to be studied in Japan, in view of joining all over democratic countries... One can always dream of a better world :-)!

intlobserver:

Hold your standards high by not going to see any games live or turning off your TV during the Games in 2020 to live up to your "nobility!"

That's my plan, and I'm also hoping to be working from home to avoid the carnage of the commute during that period.

I would also prefer to avoid having my hard-earned taxes, and those of my grandchildren yet unborn, being leeched out to fund the corrupt Yakuza connections of those who may have bribed Japan's way into this unaffordable boondoggle.

They have to define "bribes" payment.  JOC is saying it was consultant payment.  What is the difference of consultant and bribes?

They have to define "bribes" payment. JOC is saying it was consultant payment. What is the difference of consultant and bribes?

Are you joking? If not this would explain why Japan remains an ethical backwater

If the person JOC paid consultant fee to did not have the voting right to decide Olympics venue, then it is not a bribe.  That is our general understanding of bribes.  So,  IOC should have had a rule to prohibit consultant service or clear definition of what consititues bribes if their bribe means wider than the general meaning.

You're not getting this