Dentsu Group president accepts culpability in Games bid rigging – NHK

By Kevin Buckland

TOKYO (Reuters) – The president of Japanese advertising giant Dentsu Group has acknowledged corporate responsibility for suspected big rigging on contracts for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, NHK reported on Saturday.

Dentsu president Hiroshi Igarashi made the comments during questioning by Tokyo prosecutors, the national broadcaster said, citing sources it did not name.

Dentsu representatives could not immediately be reached outside of business hours. A person who answered the phone at the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office said no one was available to comment over the weekend.

Prosecutors this month arrested ex-Tokyo Olympic official Yasuo Mori and executives at Dentsu Group subsidiary Dentsu Inc, Cerespo Co and Fuji Creative Corp, a subsidiary of Fuji Media Holdings Inc, in connection with the suspected rigging of bidding for Games-related events.

The three firms have also been barred from bidding for contracts at the industry, foreign and education ministries for nine months.

(Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by William Mallard)