「元理事への謝礼、認識ない」　角川会長「お願いは当然」とも―取材応じる・五輪汚職

　東京五輪・パラリンピックをめぐる汚職事件で、出版大手ＫＡＤＯＫＡＷＡの角川歴彦会長が５日取材に応じ、大会組織委員会元理事の高橋治之容疑者（７８）＝受託収賄容疑で逮捕＝の知人（７３）のコンサルタント会社に計約７０００万円を支払ったことについて「（謝礼という）認識は全くなく、（高橋容疑者に）渡ってないと思っている」と話した。一方で「理事なんだから（高橋容疑者に）お願いするのは当然」とも語った。（2022/09/05-19:35）

The chairman of Kadokawa Corp. on Monday denied that the Japanese publisher paid some 70 million yen to a consulting firm headed by an acquaintance of an arrested former Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee executive as reward money for him.
   "I don't think the money was a reward at all and that it was given" to the former organizing committee executive, Haruyuki Takahashi, said Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, chairman of the publisher.
   It was natural to ask for a favor from Takahashi as he was an organizing committee executive, Kadokawa said.
   In April 2019, the publisher concluded a sponsorship contract with the organizing committee for the publishing sector. Soon after signing the contract, Kadokawa started paying fees to the consulting firm.
   The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office suspects that Takahashi, arrested last month in a bribery scandal over the Games, received part of the 70 million yen.