Prosecutors and a fair trade watchdog on Monday searched offices, including the headquarters of major advertising agency Hakuhodo, on suspicion of rigging bids for contracts related to test events for last year’s Tokyo Olympics, just days after raiding another ad giant over the case.
The latest searches, also covering advertisement firm Tokyu Agency and two event production companies, were conducted as investigations related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have expanded from a scandal involving the alleged receipt by a former games organizing committee executive, Haruyuki Takahashi, of ¥200 million ($1.4 million) in bribes from five companies.
On Friday, the prosecutors and the Japan Fair Trade Commission raided Japan’s top advertising agency Dentsu, and premises linked to a former senior official of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee and event production company Cerespo, after the country’s third largest advertising agency, ADK Holdings, reported to the watchdog that it had participated in bid-rigging.
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