Japanese police raided the home of a member of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games organizing committee on Tuesday amid allegations of receiving money from a sponsor with whom he signed a consulting contract, local media reported. Haruyuki Takahashi, 78, is suspected of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from clothing retailer Oki Holdings and becoming an “official partner” of the major sporting event last year. This may constitute bribery because Takahashi is considered a quasi-government official and is not allowed to receive money or gifts related to his position, Kyodo news agency reported. Tokyo prosecutors indicated they could not comment on individual cases. According to local media reports, the sports consulting firm run by Takahashi is suspected of taking money from Aoki in exchange for a contract signed in 2017. In October 2018, OK became a sponsor of the Tokyo Olympics, allowing it to use the logo of the event and sell officially licensed products.

Takahashi told the Yomiuri Shimbun last week that the money his company received was spent on consulting services. According to him, “there is no conflict of interest in my position as a member of the board of directors of the organizing committee.”