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Several Eurovision countries, including Azerbaijan offering bribes for votes
17:22 - 13.09.13
An investigation has been launched into claims that several countries
have bought votes in the Eurovision Song Contest, The Daily Mail
reported.
An executive from an unnamed country's delegation, who had been
contacted by several rival countries seeking to strike deals for high
points, has made the claims in a Swedish newspaper this week.
The executive, who worked on this year's contest in Malmo, Sweden,
accused 2011 winners Azerbaijan of offering him 'enough money to live
for a year' if they could arrange high jury points.
It is also claimed that members of the Azerbaijani delegation handed
out free mobile phone SIM cards to Lithuanian students and paid them
to vote.
Speaking in Swedish newspaper Skanska Dagbladet, the source claims to
have been contacted by a member of the Macedonian team hoping to
strike a vote swap deal at the semi-final stage.
The source claims to have been offered 'enough money to live for a
year' over a coffee meeting with an Azerbaijani delegate in return for
high jury points.
According to the Daily Mirror, the executive added that there are at
least three other countries who have attempted to strike similar deals
behind the scenes.
UK entrant Bonnie Tyler, who came 19th out of 26 finalists in the
competition back in May, also told a French newspaper that she
overheard Russians asking why they didn't get votes that they had paid
for the morning after the contest.
Sietse Bakker, Eurovision Song Contest Event Supervisor, told the
Mirror that the European Broadcasting Union is now investigating.
He said: `We have a very clear policy on such speculations.
`First of all, we always look into the story. And if we would find
actual proof that the rules have been breached, we will impose firm
sanctions and do everything we can to avoid it in the future.'
The newspaper added that Eurovision experts fear that even though an
investigation into corruption has been promised, no real action will
be taken.
17:22 - 13.09.13
An investigation has been launched into claims that several countries
have bought votes in the Eurovision Song Contest, The Daily Mail
reported.
An executive from an unnamed country's delegation, who had been
contacted by several rival countries seeking to strike deals for high
points, has made the claims in a Swedish newspaper this week.
The executive, who worked on this year's contest in Malmo, Sweden,
accused 2011 winners Azerbaijan of offering him 'enough money to live
for a year' if they could arrange high jury points.
It is also claimed that members of the Azerbaijani delegation handed
out free mobile phone SIM cards to Lithuanian students and paid them
to vote.
Speaking in Swedish newspaper Skanska Dagbladet, the source claims to
have been contacted by a member of the Macedonian team hoping to
strike a vote swap deal at the semi-final stage.
The source claims to have been offered 'enough money to live for a
year' over a coffee meeting with an Azerbaijani delegate in return for
high jury points.
According to the Daily Mirror, the executive added that there are at
least three other countries who have attempted to strike similar deals
behind the scenes.
UK entrant Bonnie Tyler, who came 19th out of 26 finalists in the
competition back in May, also told a French newspaper that she
overheard Russians asking why they didn't get votes that they had paid
for the morning after the contest.
Sietse Bakker, Eurovision Song Contest Event Supervisor, told the
Mirror that the European Broadcasting Union is now investigating.
He said: `We have a very clear policy on such speculations.
`First of all, we always look into the story. And if we would find
actual proof that the rules have been breached, we will impose firm
sanctions and do everything we can to avoid it in the future.'
The newspaper added that Eurovision experts fear that even though an
investigation into corruption has been promised, no real action will
be taken.