After $480,000 Shameful Act During Tokyo Olympics Took Headlines, Paris Olympics Organizers Face a Huge Turmoil Ahead of the Games

The world of sports was shocked by an alleged scandal during the Tokyo Olympics. It was when news broke about a suspicion of $480,000 bribery involving the son of the organizing Kodokawa group. This disgraceful event implicated Haruyuki Takahashi, a key member of the Tokyo Olympics’ organizing team and the former head of the Dentsu group, who was subsequently arrested and later released after four months.

Now, as the spotlight shifts to the upcoming Paris Olympics, the organizers find themselves mired in a deepening agitation again. Police conducted raids on the headquarters of the organizers of the Paris Olympics, the investigations are being made because of alleged misappropriation of public funds for the construction projects associated with the Games.

Paris Olympics Scandal Reports

According to a report published in the BBC, months after the Tokyo Olympics scandal, on Tuesday French authorities took action by raiding the Saint-Denis and other headquarters of the Paris Olympics. The searches extended to the offices of Solideo, the public body responsible for overseeing the Games’ building projects. These raids were prompted by allegations of public money misuse, casting a shadow of doubt over the integrity of the upcoming games. Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11. The estimated budget for these upcoming games has reached $9.62 billion, which was estimated at approximately $7.7 billion in 2017. On being asked about the search, a spokesperson for the Paris Olympics stated, “co-operating fully with the investigators.”

The financial crimes unit of France, PNF, disclosed that their investigation includes multiple locations, signaling a deepening probe into potential corruption within the Paris Olympics organizers. With the Games scheduled to take place in the upcoming months, the scandal threatens to overshadow the grandeur of the event and raises concerns about the transparency and accountability of the organizing committee. There are certain points that have been raised about the event going over budget.

What Led to the Investigation

All this scandal arose when only the cost of infrastructure went around $4.72 billion, which was originally estimated at around $3.772 billion. Not just this, but the cost of security reached around $472 million, which was not included in the overall budget of the event. These loopholes have led the French Police to start an investigation.

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Amid all these suspicions about the Paris Olympics scandal, significant figures within France’s sports community have resigned from their positions in recent months. Brigitte Henriques, the president of France’s National Olympics Committee, resigned from her position in the month of May without providing any specific reason for her departure.

As the Paris Olympics draw closer, the scandalous controversy after the Tokyo Olympics is looming large, casting a dark shadow over the preparations. The recent raids on the headquarters of the Paris Olympics organizers indicate the seriousness of the investigations into alleged financial misconduct.

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