Tsunekazu Takeda was questioned on behalf of the French authorities ©Getty Images

Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda has been questioned in his home country on behalf of France over alleged “dubious payments” made by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic bid team.

According to the Kyodo News Agency, French authorities are looking into the legitimacy of payments worth more than $2 million (£1.6 million/€1.9 million) made to Black Tidings, a Singapore-based consultancy firm, before Japan’s capital was given hosting rights for the 2020 Games in September 2013.

The company is headed by Ian Tan Tong Hon, who is known to be close to Papa Massata Diack, son of former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine DIack.

It is alleged the payments were directed to the elder Diack, who was a voting member of the IOC at the time, with authorities in France suspecting corruption or money laundering by an unknown person.

Speaking to reporters, Takeda confirmed he had been questioned alongside other officials by prosecutors on a voluntary basis.

He denies the payments were illegal.

Tsunekazu Takeda with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike as they head back to Japan's capital city with the Olympic flag ©Getty Images
Tsunekazu Takeda with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike as they head back to Japan's capital city with the Olympic flag ©Getty Images

In September last year, a panel in Japan said the payments were legitimate and not against the International Olympic Committee’s ethics code as Tan was “in a position to gain access to secret information” regarding the host city bid.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has also claimed the account in question was also used to transfer funds to help cover up doping cases in Russia.

In 2015, Diack resigned as IAAF President after being suspended by the organisation in relation to his arrest, which was linked to bribery claims involving Russian drugs cheats.