Preparations for the 2020 Olympics were set back again when the governor of Tokyo submitted his resignation Wednesday, ending a weeks-long bid to stay in power. Yoichi Masuzoe had come under intense questioning in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly for allegedly using political funds for personal purposes. Preparations for the 2020 Games have been plagued by a series of scandals involving the new national stadium, the official logo and allegations of bribery in the bidding process. Masuzoe, a former health minister backed by Japan's ruling party, easily won an election in Feburary 2014, and promised a successful 2020 Olympics. Japan's Olympic committee president Tsunekazu Takeda, who headed Tokyo's 2020 bid team, insists the payment was for legitimate consultancy work and not made with the anticipation that the money would lead to Diack.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 15, 2016 05:37 UTC