The Tokyo District Court on Friday sentenced the former chairman of business suit retailer Aoki Holdings to a suspended prison term for bribing a Tokyo Olympic organizing committee executive in connection with the Games in 2021.
The court gave Hironori Aoki, 84, a prison term of two-and-a-half years, suspended for four years, for paying ¥28 million ($209,000) to Haruyuki Takahashi, 79, who exerted influence over the committee's marketing division.
The ruling was the first in a series of bribery cases involving Takahashi, who has been charged with accepting bribes from Aoki and others in return for helping companies to be selected as Olympic sponsors or marketing agents.