Society | Jan 12

Japanese Olympic head facing charges

French authorities say a judge is considering charging the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee with corruption. It's in connection with the awarding of the 2020 Tokyo Games.

French prosecutors say an investigative judge began looking into the case last month. The judge is weighing whether to indict Tsunekazu Takeda.

French media report it's related to a suspected payment totaling more than 2 million dollars. It was made before and after Japan won its bid to host the summer Games.

Since 2016, French investigators have been looking into the transfer of money from a Japanese bank account to a firm in Singapore.

That company was linked to the son of Lamine Diack, who was a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Lamine Diack has since been arrested on suspicion of taking bribes to cover up doping by Russian athletes.

The Tokyo bid committee argued the payment was for consulting services and was legitimate.

An investigation by the Japanese Olympic Committee found no evidence of bribery, but concluded that the procedure was not transparent.

Source: ANNnewsCH


MORE Society NEWS

A fire chief in Shiga Prefecture has been disciplined for "vaccine harassment," after a staff member who chose not to receive the COVID-19 jab was made to work in the office hallway.

As more people keep pets indoors, there has been a call for caution regarding unexpected pet behavior leading to fire accidents.

Last year saw a record-breaking 1,963 prohibition orders issued in Japan under the Stalking Control Law, marking the highest number to date.

POPULAR NEWS

Japan's Meteorological Agency announced the blooming of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms in Tokyo at 2 p.m. on Friday, five days later than average.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) announced a formal plan on March 28 to establish priority lanes for autonomous vehicles along expressways stretching from Tohoku to Kyushu within the next ten years.

JAXA has announced the revival of the unmanned explorer "SLIM" following its successful hibernation after making Japan's first moon landing. The probe successfully endured a second lunar night, a period during which temperatures can drop to as low as minus 170 degrees Celsius.

Seven-Eleven have extended the expiry date of its hand-rolled onigiri (rice balls), including salmon, plum, kelp, spicy cod roe, and tuna mayonnaise varieties.

The Japanese government finalized a new strategy on Wednesday aimed at the development of next-generation domestic aircraft, including initiatives for eco-friendly aviation technologies.

FOLLOW US