The claims, on the BBC’s Newsnight programme in the UK, included allegations of payments of millions of dollars from an Azeri national to the AIBA’s World Series of Boxing, a tournament inaugurated by the body last year. The money was allegedly in return for guaranteed gold medals for Azerbaijan in boxing competitions at the Games. The BBC2 programme quoted AIBA president Dr Ching Kuo Wu as saying: “Thanks for informing us about this information. I will immediately conduct an investigation into this because there is a zero tolerance policy in AIBA.”
The allegations have emerged ahead of the start of the AIBA World Championships this weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan. This morning, IOC director of communications Mark Adams told Reuters: “We welcome AIBA's announcement of an immediate enquiry into these claims and we await the outcome of their investigation. For its part the IOC takes all allegations of corruption very seriously and we would urge the BBC to make any evidence they have available to AIBA and to our Ethics Commission which will then determine if further action is necessary.”
A statement issued by the AIBA and World Series Boxing in response to allegations made by BBC Newsnight read: “In 2010, an agreement was signed between WSB SA, a Swiss incorporated company which runs the World Series of Boxing competition under the auspices of the AIBA, and a Swiss investment company for a loan in respect of the operation of WSB's American franchises. The Swiss investment company facilitated the making of the loan, which originated from an Azerbaijani investor. The loan was not ‘secret’ and nor was there anything improper about it.”
The statement added: “It was an arm’s length transaction between two entities made on a commercial basis and with a view to a commercial return for the investor. While that investor prefers not to be named, as is their right under the terms of the agreement, AIBA/WSB can confirm that they are a private investor and are not the Azerbaijani Government (whether the Ministry of Emergency or any other arm of the government) and that none of the funds were derived from Azerbaijani Government.”
The statement continued: “Any suggestion that the loan was made in return for promises of gold medals at the 2012 Olympics is preposterous and utterly untrue. AIBA/WSB believe that such allegations have been made by individuals with an axe to grind, who are totally discredited. As well as unjustifiably imputing corruption to AIBA/WSB, they demonstrate a complete misunderstanding of the procedures which lead to the award of Olympic boxing medals and the impossibility of influencing these.”
