He spoke. In Japanese, a short time, without answering questions. But Tsunekazu Takeda, the president of the Japanese Olympic committee, installed despite himself at the center of Olympic news since the end of last week, has spoken. But he didn't say much.
The former Olympic rider announced a press conference this Tuesday, January 15 in Tokyo. He kept his word. Very elegant in his black suit, Tsunekazu Takeda faced a big day audience, in a room of the Japanese Olympic committee threatened to burst at the seams.
Chrono in hand, his intervention lasted no more than 7 minutes. Tsunekazu Takeda read his statement, written in the style of a defense plea. Then he left the scene without answering questions from the media.
With such staging, the content necessarily lacks meat. Tsunekazu Takeda has flatly denied the accusations of “active corruption” brought against him by the French justice system as part of its investigation into suspicions of vote buying during Tokyo's bid campaign for the 2020 Games.
He did not deny the existence of two transfers with a total value of 1,8 million euros to the company Black Tidings, based in Singapore. But the president of the Japanese Olympic committee reiterated once again that there was nothing illegal about these payments.
« I will fully cooperate with the French authorities in investigating this matter and will do everything possible to prove my innocence.”, insisted Tsunekazu Takeda this Tuesday morning at a press conference.
Then he focused on repeating his defense line, the same one he had used three years earlier during a hearing before a Budget inquiry committee. The payments to Black Tidings were legal, Tsunekazu Takea assured. They concerned remuneration due for “consulting” work carried out by the Singaporean company.
The credibility of Black Tidings was guaranteed at the time by the Japanese agency Dentsu, a global communications and public relations giant, engaged alongside Tokyo 2020 since the bidding phase.
What will happen to Tsunekazu Takeda? At this stage of the investigation, nothing is certain. The Japanese leader, president of the IOC marketing commission, was heard on Friday January 11 by the ethics commission of the Olympic institution. Nothing leaked from the interview, conducted by teleconference. Very discreet on the subject, the IOC simply repeated that it benefited from the presumption of innocence. It is therefore not suspended.
The Japanese press, however, suggests that he could very quickly announce his decision to step aside, at least for the duration of the investigation. In the meantime, Tsunekazu Takeda apologized this Tuesday morning at a press conference. He wanted to apologize for the “ Caused embarrassment", to the Japanese people, sports leaders and the many people currently working to prepare for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
