20 replies to this topic

[RobH]

The IOC (International Olympic Committee) said on Tuesday it opened an investigation against former FIFA president Joao Havelange. The information was given by the newspaper O Estado de S. Paul.

The decision to open the investigation was taken after the British broadcaster BBC aired a program that pointed to the suspicion that Havelange and the president of CBF, Ricardo Teixeira, his former son-would have received bribes in the 1990 ISL, marketing firm linked to FIFA.

According to reports, and Teixeira Havelange had received bribes of $ 15.1 million (U.S. $ 9.5 million), and the money had been paid to Sanud, a company based in Liechtenstein tax haven used to evade taxes or hide dirty money .

ISL had paid bribes in exchange for benefits under contracts with FIFA. The Sanud, who received the bribe, Ricardo Teixeira is a partner in a company name RLJ, which is based in a building on Avenida Rio Branco, Rio de Janeiro, the same office address for Havelange.

IOC president Jacques Rogge has confirmed the launch of the investigation. Havelange is the oldest member of the IOC since 1963 - even before assuming the presidency of Fifa, a position he held from 1974 to 1998. He was one of the leading supporters of the campaign from Rio to receive the 2016 Olympics.

FIFA cleared Ricardo Teixeira another complaint: he had asked for bribes to vote in England to host the 2018 finals, but was not granted. He voted in joint bid for Portugal and Spain, but it was Russia who won the election. Havelange was never mentioned in the complaints of FIFA, the entity which is now honorary president.

http://translate.goo...26idnot%3D54028

[baron-pierreIV]

Uh-oh!!

[RobH]

Spoke too soon, apparently this news source has jumped the gun. IOC denying this to be the case.

Move on, nothing to see here.

[Citius Altius Fortius]

This news might be wrong, but isn't it interesting that it seems that "the people" didn't esteem the article as hoax right away? Does that mean that the IOC as well as the FIFA have a reliablity problem?

[RobH]

Perhaps this news isn't far wrong after all...

http://www.insidethe...-1-million-bung

[gotosy]

Quote

Ex-FIFA chief on the way out of IOC after bribe allegations

FIFA's former president Joao Havelange is expected to resign from the International Olympic Committee over allegations that he accepted £6million in bribes.

Havelange, the longest-serving member of the IOC, is accused of accepting the money as part of the £65m paid out in backhanders by marketing agents ISL, a Swiss company that collapsed in 2001 owing almost £200m.

Stepping down, as sources in Havelange's native Brazil suggested he will, would save him from probable suspension by the IOC in Lausanne on Thursday if their independent ethics committee finds him guilty of corruption.

Either way, at the age of 95, his Olympic career stretching back to 1936 as a swimmer and 1963 as an IOC member appears to be nearly over.

He remains honorary president of FIFA.

The IOC are also at the centre of an embezzlement scandal, having alerted police in Switzerland that up to £1.2m has allegedly been stolen from the Olympic Museum.


http://www.dailymail...o=feeds-newsxml

[gotosy]

LONDON (AP) — Former FIFA President Joao Havelange has resigned from the IOC, just days before the longtime Brazilian member faced suspension from the Olympic body in a decade-old kickback scandal stemming from his days as the head of world soccer, The Associated Press has learned.

The 95-year-old Havelange — the IOC's longest-serving member with 48 years of service — submitted his resignation in a letter Thursday night, according to a person familiar with the case. The person spoke to the AP on Sunday on condition of anonymity because Havelange's decision has been kept confidential.

The move came a few days before the International Olympic Committee's ethics commission was due to recommend heavy sanctions against Havelange in the case involving FIFA's former marketing agency ISL.

Havelange, an IOC member since 1963, has been under investigation by the ethics commission for allegedly receiving a $1 million payment from ISL. Two other IOC members, IAAF President Lamine Diack and African soccer official Issa Hayatou, are also under investigation but face much lesser penalties.

A two-year suspension, or even possible expulsion, for Havelange was expected to be considered at Thursday's IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. With his resignation, the ethics case against him is expected to be dropped.
...

Havelange is the first member to resign from the Olympic body in an ethics case since former IOC vice president Kim Un-yong of South Korea stepped down in 2005 rather than face expulsion. Kim had been previously suspended in connection with corruption charges in South Korea.

IOC President Jacques Rogge, elected in 2001, has pursued a tough line against any ethics violations.

Ruben Acosta, the former president of the international volleyball federation, resigned from the IOC in 2004, two days before the ethics commission was due to recommend his possible expulsion for alleged misuse of Olympic funds.

Four IOC members resigned in 1999 after being implicated in the Salt Lake City bid scandal. Six others were expelled for accepting cash, gifts, scholarships and other improper benefits during Salt Lake's winning bid for the 2002 Winter Games.

Bulgarian member Ivan Slavkov was expelled in 2005 for alleged Olympic corruption. Indonesia's Mohamad "Bob" Hasan, who was jailed in a scam involving a forest-mapping project in the 1990s, was kicked out in 2004.

AP

[paul]

Will they still call the Olympic stadium under his name in Rio 2016?

[RobH]

What would you suggest as an alternative? The Jim856796 Arena would be my preference.

Seriously though, the IOC are showing FIFA up massively here:

Quote

A two-year suspension, or even possible expulsion, for Havelange was expected to be considered at Thursday's IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Edited by RobH, 04 December 2011 - 06:57 PM.

[paul]

I would change the name.

Edited by paul, 05 December 2011 - 12:58 PM.