JOC says no evidence found of corruption in Olympic bidding
By Charlotte Bates
Last Updated: 01/09/16 1:41pm
An independent panel commissioned by the Japanese Olympic Committee has found nothing illegal in a payment made to a Singapore consulting firm in connection with Tokyo's bid to host the 2020 Summer Games.
A report by the panel said a $2.8m Singapore dollar (£1.5m) payment to the consultancy Black Tidings for bid planning services and lobbying advice in 2013 was legitimate.
The panel stated that Tokyo bid executives had no knowledge of the link between the head of Black Tidings, Ian Tan Tong Han, and the son of former IAAF President Lamine Diack, who is facing corruption charges in France.
"The investigation concludes that (the bid committee's deals) are not in violation of any of the laws of Japan," the panel's report said.
"In addition, the investigation team concludes that it does not form any crime under the penal code of France, and furthermore, that no violation of the IOC code of ethics can be found."
Japanese officials denied wrongdoing and have said that the payment was for consulting services related to the bid.
Yoshihisa Hayakawa, the lawyer who led the investigation, said: "What was most important for the team was to probe whether the bid committee in fact bribed someone.
"We think the investigation cleared the group of any suspicion in this regard."
However, Hayakawa stressed the probe's limitations and its inability to interview key people, such as the Diacks and the head of the now defunct consulting company.
"As a team without authority for compulsory investigation, we have done all we can within our ability," he said.
The money was sent in two tranches to Black Tidings company based in Singapore, either side of the International Olympic Committee vote which awarded Tokyo the 2020 Games.
"There was no one (in the Japanese bid committee) who knew Mr Tan was close to Mr Papa Massata Diack" when Japan hired the consultant, said Hayakawa.
Eisuke Hiraoka JOC secretary general, stressed that the organisation had done all it could, though acknowledged the possibility there could be "factors that are not fully clear".
He confirmed that neither French nor Japanese authorities had attempted to contact the JOC for questioning.
