[Olympic Corruption]Prime Minister Morimoto was interviewed as a reference person, and he continued “silently” in his hometown of Ishikawa (September 9, 2022)

It turned out that the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office had voluntarily interviewed former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori (85) as a witness in the corruption case surrounding the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Interview with Mr. Mori, who was the head of the organizing committee at the time. What is the purpose of the Special Investigation Department and what impact will it have on this case? Did you answer anything? The mask appears to move. Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori visited his hometown of Ishikawa Prefecture on the 9th. At the meeting with the Governor of Hase Prefecture, I could see a smile on his face. In interviews with people involved, it was found that the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office had voluntarily interviewed former Prime Minister Mori, who was the chairman of the Tokyo Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, multiple times. Since 2017, Prime Minister Mori has had dinner with Hironori Aoki (83), the former chairman of AOKI Holdings, a major men’s clothing company. Aoki has been charged with paying 28 million yen in bribes to Haruyuki Takahashi (78), a former director of the organizing committee, regarding the selection of sponsors for the Tokyo Games. It was Takahashi, who is said to have taken a bribe, who introduced Aoki to former Prime Minister Mori. Prime Minister Morimoto seems to have explained to the voluntary hearing that he had not received a request for sponsor selection from AOKI. In 2014, former Prime Minister Mori became chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Games. He resigned as chairman in February last year after saying, “A board with many women takes time.” In 2017, when Takahashi brought Aoki to meet with former Prime Minister Mori, he was chairman of the Games Organizing Committee. In 2018, the following year, AOKI signed a sponsorship contract and worked on the official clothing worn by the athletes. Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, Chairman of the Organizing Committee (at the time): “Mr. Aoki, AOKI Holdings sells our goods and such. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Former Prime Minister Mori’s representative lawyer commented, “I will refrain from answering because it is a criminal case and it will interfere with the investigation.”
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