French authorities are investigating payments worth about $2m to a company linked to the son of former world athletics chief Lamine Diack over alleged connections to Japan’s successful bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

A first alleged payment in July 2013 and a second one three months later were made under the title of “Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game Bid” from a Japanese bank account to a Singapore account held by Black Tidings, the French financial prosecutor’s office said in a statement yesterday. Black Tidings is reported to have links to Papa Massata Diack, son of Lamine Diack.

The probe will put pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which reformed its bid process after becoming engulfed in a bribery scandal related to the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.