Spread the wealth
Athens organizer opposes permanent Olympic site
Posted: Wednesday January 27, 1999 04:09 PM
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Staging the Olympics permanently in Greece
as a scandal-stopping move "isn't the answer'" and could open
rivalries that could further undermine the games, the head of the
organizing team for Athens 2004 said Wednesday.
Some commentators and officials around the world have suggested
keeping the Olympics in its ancient birthplace to end the long and
costly bidding process, which has been sullied by bribery and
favor-trading allegations.
But Constantine Bakouris, managing director of the 2004
Olympiad, said it "would be very difficult to deprive the other
countries of organizing" the Olympics.
"I know it's nice and romantic to say that we'd like to have
it," Bakouris told The Associated Press. "I personally believe it
isn't the answer to come to Greece only because other people had
allegedly done some scandals. The idea is to improve the whole
process and make it more transparent and give everyone a chance."
But some Greek newspapers sought to fan public support to have
the games rooted in Greece -- an idea first raised by the late Greek
President Constantine Caramanlis.
"This is an opportunity that should not be lost," an editorial
in the daily Ta Nea said.
Bakouris speculated other cities and regions could resent a
permanent Olympic home in Greece because of the "high stakes" from
revenue and global exposure associated with the games.
He also noted the complications with potentially seeking a fixed
site for the Winter Olympics.
The scandals have so far spared Athens, where the modern
Olympiad was revived in 1896.
The head of the Greece's Olympic committee, Lambis Nikolaou,
dared IOC inspectors to find any improprieties with Athens' 2004
bid.
"The games were given cleanly. The doors are open, the dogs are
tied up and they can come and examine whatever they want," he said
on Tuesday.
But a full disclosure on bid spending has not yet been made
public, and sports officials have not commented on the timetable
for the release of the records. Athens was awarded the games 16
months ago.
A former Athens 2004 bid official, Constantinos Sofoulis, has
alleged mismanagement and a lack of proper bookkeeping by the bid
committee.
Sofoulis -- in an 18-page report in late 1997 -- added that he
found no indications of bid committee irregularities in dealings
with the IOC.
"That is maybe the only point on which there are no indications
that there was any mismanagement," Sofoulis told the AP.
A prosecutor ordered Greece's special financial police to begin
an investigation of the bid committee after Sofoulis' report, said
Finance Ministry sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The sources said that no signs of criminal mismanagement have
been found, but the "case is still open."
Sofoulis, an economics professor and former Socialist lawmaker,
alleged the bid committee failed to keep proper accounts and did
not keep full track of contractors and providers of goods and
services.
Meanwhile, Greek officials rallied to present Athens as free of
scandal.
"These are devious days for the international Olympic family,"
said Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos. "This gives us the
opportunity to promote our main goal ... the elevation of the
Olympic ideal."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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