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Monday, Dec. 14, 1998

IOC president promises crackdown

Samaranch vows to clean up corruption in Olympic host site selections

Associated Press

   LAUSANNE, Switzerland - A day after a bribery scandal rocked the International Olympic Committee, its president promised to get rid of any corrupt officials and consider changing the way host cities are selected.
   IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch deemed the crisis as serious for the IOC as the political boycotts of the 1980s and Ben Johnson's drug scandal at the 1988 Seoul Games.
   "They were difficult moments, and now we are facing another difficult moment," he said. "But I am sure that we will solve this problem. After the black day, the sun will come again."
   Shaken by the allegations of vote-buying and payoffs leveled by one of his senior aides, Samaranch said his obligation is to "look forward to try to solve the problems and to reinforce the Olympic movement."
   Samaranch also ruled out any possibility of stripping Salt Lake City of the 2002 Winter Olympics as a result of the scandal stemming from scholarship funds benefiting relatives of IOC members. Salt Lake officials apologized Sunday for the "embarrassment."
   Samaranch spoke at the close of another extraordinary day at IOC headquarters. Senior Swiss official Marc Hodler, who made the bombshell corruption accusations Saturday, claimed he was "muzzled" by Samaranch and might be kicked out of the IOC.
   Samaranch said Hodler would not lose his job, but added he was taken aback by the comments and disappointed Hodler made them to the media and not the IOC.
   "For me, I was really surprised," Samaranch said. "If he has names and evidence, he must go to the executive board."
   Samaranch said Hodler's remarks would be considered by a special IOC panel investigating the Salt Lake case.
   "If it is necessary, we will expel members if this commission feels these members are guilty," he said.
   Hodler said four agents - including one IOC member - had been involved in vote-buying the past 10 years. He cited supposed irregularities in the elections of at least four Olympic cities - Atlanta; Nagano, Japan; Sydney, Australia; and Salt Lake.
   Hodler said he thought 5 to 7 percent of the IOC members - currently numbering 115 - were open to bribery.
   Samaranch said the IOC would possibly consider a new procedure to eliminate temptations in the selection of host cities. Under current rules, all IOC members have a vote. Samaranch called the procedure too long, complicated and expensive.
   "Maybe we have to think in the future to study another system for picking the Olympic city," he said.
   Samaranch noted the IOC could adopt the formula used by sports federations such as FIFA, world soccer's governing body, which assign their executive boards to select sites.
   But he ruled out any change before the next IOC session in Seoul, South Korea, next June, when the site for the 2006 Winter Olympics will be awarded.
   IOC vice president Dick Pound said Hodler's accusations could provide the impetus for the IOC to wipe out any corruption once and for all.
   "I don't like this to be out there, but I'm glad it is because it gives us the opportunity to deal with it - to put a chapter that appears to be somewhat disagreeable behind us," he said.
   Pound said the IOC had met with Hodler and would look into his charges.
   "We are aware there are agents and we are aware of the identity of at least some of them," Pound said. "What they've done or not done, we don't know yet."
   "We hear the rumors," he said. "This is not a complete ivory tower here. We say, `Please give us some ammunition and we will investigate if there's something there.' Now we have it, now we will."
   Pound said agents have become especially active in the bidding process since the IOC decided to stagger the Winter and Summer Olympics every two years. The new cycle started in 1994.
   "What seems to be developing is a professional class of Olympic agents who offer services to bid committees," Pound said.
   He said the IOC has been warning cities bidding for the 2006 Winter Games to be careful in dealing with agents. But he said he had no evidence agents have been collecting cash for votes.
   "Nothing I have seen so far would establish that," Pound said. "We don't know exactly what they are doing. We're short of facts at the moment."
   Pound said the inquiry was focusing on the Salt Lake bid but could be expanded.
   "One is never sure where the trail will lead," Pound said.
   Pound said he was primarily concerned with stamping out any corruption within the IOC, a view echoed by American IOC vice president Anita DeFrantz.
   "We ask athletes to compete with integrity - our members must also act with integrity," she said. "I think all but a few IOC members behave that way."
   

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