森元会長から参考人聴取　元理事の便宜、裏付け捜査―五輪汚職・東京地検

　東京五輪・パラリンピックの汚職事件で、東京地検特捜部が、大会組織委員会元会長の森喜朗元首相から参考人として事情聴取していたことが９日、関係者への取材で分かった。組織委元理事、高橋治之容疑者（７８）＝受託収賄容疑で再逮捕＝がスポンサー選定過程で、紳士服大手ＡＯＫＩホールディングス側に森氏を紹介し便宜を図った疑いがあり、特捜部は裏付けを取る必要があると判断したもようだ。
　特捜部は森氏に対し、高橋容疑者から紹介を受けた経緯や面会でのやりとり、会長の職務権限などについて確認を求めたとみられる。
　関係者によると、高橋容疑者はスポンサー選定過程の２０１７年夏ごろ、ＡＯＫＩ前会長、青木拡憲被告（８３）＝贈賄罪で起訴＝の求めに応じて会食の席を設け、森氏を紹介。その後も３者で複数回、面会していた。
　組織委の役職員は「みなし公務員」に当たり、会長職は定款で「法人を代表し、業務を執行する」と規定されている。高橋容疑者は、業務全般に権限を持つ森氏を紹介し、青木被告に便宜を図った疑いがあるという。（2022/09/09-12:11）

Tokyo prosecutors have questioned Yoshiro Mori, former president of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee, over the unfolding Tokyo Games bribery scandal, sources said Friday.
   The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office suspects that former committee executive Haruyuki Takahashi, at the center of the scandal, introduced Hironori Aoki, former chairman of apparel maker Aoki Holdings Inc. , to Mori during the process to select Games sponsors, the sources said.
   Through the questioning, the special squad of the prosecutors office apparently tried to confirm details of what led Takahashi to introduce Aoki to Mori, conversations among the three and the range of Mori's authority as organizing committee president.
   Takahashi, 78, set up an opportunity to introduce Aoki, 83, to former Prime Minister Mori around summer 2017 during the sponsorship selection process, at the request of the former chairman, according to the sources. The three met more than once after that.
   The organizing committee's members were treated as quasi-public servants banned from receiving money or goods in relation to their duties. The now-defunct committee's internal rules stipulated that its president represent the committee and execute operations.