Tokyo 2020 bribery scandal sees first convictions | The Express Tribune
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TOKYO: The former chairman of a Tokyo 2020 Olympics sponsor was handed a suspended prison sentence Friday along with two others, in the first convictions in a spiralling bribery scandal surrounding the event. Corruption allegations have mushroomed in the aftermath of the pandemic-delayed Games, implicating major companies and damaging Japan's bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics in Sapporo. Hironori Aoki, the 84-year-old ex-head of high-street business suit retailer Aoki Holdings, received a suspended prison term of two and a half years, a Tokyo District Court spokesman told AFP. Aoki pleaded guilty in December to accusations that he and two colleagues bribed a Tokyo 2020 board member to secure sponsorship rights, according to Japanese media. "These criminal acts damaged social trust in the fair operation of the Games, which attracted world attention and were important for the country," judge Kenji Yasunaga said Friday in comments reported by Jiji Pres