Japan to investigate claim of illicit Olympic payment

epa05301623 (FILE) A file picture dated 25 April 2016 of the logos of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic (L) and Paralympic Games (R) during a presentation in Tokyo, Japan. An alleged payment of 1.3 million euro from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid team to an account linked to the son of former IAAF president Lamine Diack was apparantly made during the race to host the 2020 Olympic Games, the Guardian newspaper claimed on 11 May 2016. EPA/KIMIMASA MAYAMA

TOKYO: Japan on Friday said it would question officials involved in Tokyo’s successful 2020 Olympics bid over a multi-million dollar payment which is being probed by French investigators.

Japan’s announcement comes after French prosecutors said they suspect that $2 million paid to a son of disgraced former world athletics supremo Lamine Diack was aimed at winning support for the Tokyo 2020 bid.