Olympic Bribery Scandal Chronology
Posted: Sunday January 24, 1999 11:59 AM
Nov. 25, 1998 : Salt Lake City media report that Olympic boosters paid thousands of dollars in scholarships for IOC members' families, including Sonia Essomba, the daughter of the deceased IOC member for Cameroon, during bid for 2002 Games.
Dec. 8 : Salt Lake City officials concede six relatives of IOC members benefited from $500,000 fund for 'humanitarian assistance' but deny bribery.
Dec. 10 : IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch opens investigation into alleged payments and scholarships to IOC members and families by Salt Lake City.
Dec. 12 : Top IOC official Marc Hodler sets off explosion in Olympic movement by saying corruption and vote-buying widespread and not just limited to Salt Lake City.
Dec. 20 : Samaranch announces he wants to overhaul bidding procedures, including taking vote away from all 115 members and banning visits to candidate cities.
Dec. 29 : U.S. authorities, Salt Lake City ethics commission and IOC commission all open investigations.
Jan. 7, 1999 : Revealed that Jean-Claude Ganga, IOC member from Congo, earned $60,000 profit on Utah land deal arranged through member of Salt Lake City bid committee.
Jan. 8, 1999 : Salt Lake City organizing committee president, Frank Joklik, and senior vice president Dave Johnson resign.
Jan. 14 : Samaranch tells AP that 13 IOC members are implicated by corruption allegations and nine risk expulsion.
Jan. 17 : Japanese media report that Nagano bid committee spent on average $22,000 per member on each of 62 visiting IOC members -- in violation of strict IOC spending limits. All accounting records were destroyed.
Jan. 19 : Pirjo Haeggman of Finland becomes first IOC member to resign after accusations her husband worked briefly for Salt Lake City bid committee and for company linked to Toronto bid.
Jan. 21 : IOC chief investigator Richard Pound says Salt Lake City bidders paid out fixed-figure gifts of cash to some IOC members but finds no evidence of criminal behavior.
Jan. 22 : Scandal spreads to Sydney when Australian official concedes he offered $70,000 in inducements to IOC members from Kenya and Uganda to help win 2000 Games for Sydney. IOC member from Libya, Bashir Mohamed Attarabulsi, resigns over revelations his son received college scholarships at Utah schools from Salt Lake City boosters.
Jan. 23 : IOC panel meets to conclude internal investigation.
Jan. 24 : IOC executive committee considers sweeping overhaul of bidding procedures and expulsion of members.
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