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22 September 2011 Last updated at 21:01 GMT
Allegations of deal to fix 2012 Olympic boxing medalsBy Anna Adams and
Meirion Jones BBC Newsnight
Boxing chief denies cash for 2012 Olympic medals deal
BBC Newsnight has uncovered evidence of secret payments of millions of
dollars from Azerbaijan to international boxing organisation World Series
Boxing (WSB).
Whistleblowers say that WSB's chief claimed the money was in return for a
guarantee that Azerbaijani fighters would win two boxing gold medals at the
London 2012 Olympics.
The boxing organiser at the Olympics, AIBA, admits an Azeri national paid
$9m (£5.9m) to one of their competitions.
But they deny any deal to fix medals.
Lawyers for the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) told the BBC
that any such allegation was "preposterous and utterly untrue".
That view was backed by AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, who told Newsnight
that the claims were "totally untrue and ludicrous", adding that "WSB is
conducted in a totally transparent way".
However, he said that AIBA had a zero tolerance policy on corruption and
that he would conduct an immediate investigation into the allegations.
[image: London 2012 Olympic medals] Whistleblowers say a senior WSB member
said gold medals had been promised
The AIBA is the international governing body for the sport of boxing
recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). World Series
Boxing, a franchised league of professional boxing, is one of its
initiatives.
Whistleblowers from inside boxing approached Newsnight with allegations
about the Chief Operating Officer of the AIBA's World Series Boxing (WSB),
Ivan Khodabakhsh.
WSB had run into financial difficulties in America and was in need of
funding.
'Medals being sold'
The insiders said Mr Khodabakhsh told them that a secret deal had been done
to secure funding from Azerbaijan in return for manipulation of the Olympic
boxing tournament to guarantee gold medals for Azerbaijani fighters.
One insider told Newsnight: "Ivan boasted to a few of us that there was no
need to worry about World Series Boxing having the coin to pay its bills. As
long as the Azeris got their medals, WSB would have the cash."
Another said that Mr Khodabakhsh came in and said: "We are safe now -
Azerbaijan came in - we have to give them medals for that."
"He was talking about gold medals in London in return for millions of
dollars of secret payments," the insider added. "Medals are being sold so
blatantly it's amazing."
But Mr Khodabakhsh told Newsnight that claims that there was any deal with
Azerbaijan were "an absolute lie".
"I deny that I have offered anyone two gold medals or have any understanding
that anybody else has offered two gold medals to Azerbaijan," he added.
AIBA has previously claimed that the money for WSB America came from a
private Swiss company, but documents obtained by Newsnight show
communications between Mr Khodabakhsh, AIBA executive director Ho Kim and
Azerbaijan's Minister for Emergency Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov about an
investment agreement for a $10m loan.
These include an e-mail from Mr Khodabakhsh to the ministry in Azerbaijan
with the following request: "Please transfer the investment money soonest
possible to the WSB America account."
'Go-between'
Newsnight interviewed Mr Khodabakhsh earlier this month in Switzerland,
where WSB have offices, and asked him about the source of the money.
"The money for WSB America came from an investment company here based in
Switzerland," he said.
However, lawyers for AIBA and WSB, have now confirmed that although the
money was paid through a Swiss company it actually came from Azerbaijan. But
they deny that it was from the government there.
They say that the government minister, Mr Heydarov, introduced a private
Azerbaijani investor to WSB and that the minister and his assistant acted as
the interface between the two since the investor did not speak good English.
Newsnight tried to contact Mr Heydarov via his office, but has received no
response.
To date the anonymous investor has contributed $9m to WSB America.
Sporting events promoter Barry Hearn was asked to look at the economics of
WSB when it was first mooted in 2009 and came to the conclusion that it
could not make money.
He told Newsnight he was surprised that any investor would think that it
offered the opportunity for high returns:
"If an investor comes into this scheme with $10m I can only think he's
arrived from another planet".
There have been repeated allegations of corruption in Olympic boxing
competitions.
The legendary boxing commentator Jim Neilly told Newsnight "There have been
enough incidences down the years to suggest there has been collusion".
Speaking to Newsnight, AIBA President Dr Wu said his organisation had spent
the last four years "cleaning the house of boxing" and that any corruption
or manipulation within the sport was not tolerated.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15020658
Allegations of deal to fix 2012 Olympic boxing medalsBy Anna Adams and
Meirion Jones BBC Newsnight
Boxing chief denies cash for 2012 Olympic medals deal
BBC Newsnight has uncovered evidence of secret payments of millions of
dollars from Azerbaijan to international boxing organisation World Series
Boxing (WSB).
Whistleblowers say that WSB's chief claimed the money was in return for a
guarantee that Azerbaijani fighters would win two boxing gold medals at the
London 2012 Olympics.
The boxing organiser at the Olympics, AIBA, admits an Azeri national paid
$9m (£5.9m) to one of their competitions.
But they deny any deal to fix medals.
Lawyers for the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) told the BBC
that any such allegation was "preposterous and utterly untrue".
That view was backed by AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, who told Newsnight
that the claims were "totally untrue and ludicrous", adding that "WSB is
conducted in a totally transparent way".
However, he said that AIBA had a zero tolerance policy on corruption and
that he would conduct an immediate investigation into the allegations.
[image: London 2012 Olympic medals] Whistleblowers say a senior WSB member
said gold medals had been promised
The AIBA is the international governing body for the sport of boxing
recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). World Series
Boxing, a franchised league of professional boxing, is one of its
initiatives.
Whistleblowers from inside boxing approached Newsnight with allegations
about the Chief Operating Officer of the AIBA's World Series Boxing (WSB),
Ivan Khodabakhsh.
WSB had run into financial difficulties in America and was in need of
funding.
'Medals being sold'
The insiders said Mr Khodabakhsh told them that a secret deal had been done
to secure funding from Azerbaijan in return for manipulation of the Olympic
boxing tournament to guarantee gold medals for Azerbaijani fighters.
One insider told Newsnight: "Ivan boasted to a few of us that there was no
need to worry about World Series Boxing having the coin to pay its bills. As
long as the Azeris got their medals, WSB would have the cash."
Another said that Mr Khodabakhsh came in and said: "We are safe now -
Azerbaijan came in - we have to give them medals for that."
"He was talking about gold medals in London in return for millions of
dollars of secret payments," the insider added. "Medals are being sold so
blatantly it's amazing."
But Mr Khodabakhsh told Newsnight that claims that there was any deal with
Azerbaijan were "an absolute lie".
"I deny that I have offered anyone two gold medals or have any understanding
that anybody else has offered two gold medals to Azerbaijan," he added.
AIBA has previously claimed that the money for WSB America came from a
private Swiss company, but documents obtained by Newsnight show
communications between Mr Khodabakhsh, AIBA executive director Ho Kim and
Azerbaijan's Minister for Emergency Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov about an
investment agreement for a $10m loan.
These include an e-mail from Mr Khodabakhsh to the ministry in Azerbaijan
with the following request: "Please transfer the investment money soonest
possible to the WSB America account."
'Go-between'
Newsnight interviewed Mr Khodabakhsh earlier this month in Switzerland,
where WSB have offices, and asked him about the source of the money.
"The money for WSB America came from an investment company here based in
Switzerland," he said.
However, lawyers for AIBA and WSB, have now confirmed that although the
money was paid through a Swiss company it actually came from Azerbaijan. But
they deny that it was from the government there.
They say that the government minister, Mr Heydarov, introduced a private
Azerbaijani investor to WSB and that the minister and his assistant acted as
the interface between the two since the investor did not speak good English.
Newsnight tried to contact Mr Heydarov via his office, but has received no
response.
To date the anonymous investor has contributed $9m to WSB America.
Sporting events promoter Barry Hearn was asked to look at the economics of
WSB when it was first mooted in 2009 and came to the conclusion that it
could not make money.
He told Newsnight he was surprised that any investor would think that it
offered the opportunity for high returns:
"If an investor comes into this scheme with $10m I can only think he's
arrived from another planet".
There have been repeated allegations of corruption in Olympic boxing
competitions.
The legendary boxing commentator Jim Neilly told Newsnight "There have been
enough incidences down the years to suggest there has been collusion".
Speaking to Newsnight, AIBA President Dr Wu said his organisation had spent
the last four years "cleaning the house of boxing" and that any corruption
or manipulation within the sport was not tolerated.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15020658