Pass the parcel
IOC gets 11 replies, gives 2 extensions
Posted: Tuesday February 16, 1999 05:40 PM
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday said it received 11 responses to a request for information on rule-breaking behavior by its members with two national Olympic committees granted extensions.
Monday was the deadline for bidders to respond to a letter from IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch asking for any concrete evidence of ethical misconduct by IOC members.
The IOC did not disclose details of the replies. A spokesman said the letters would be passed on to the special IOC panel investigating allegations of impropriety by members and would remain confidential until a report is completed.
The IOC sent out letters requesting information from 54 cities that bid for the games from 1996 onward. The initiative was prompted by the bribery scandal surrounding Salt Lake City's successful bid for the 2002 Winter Games.
Last week, Japanese Olympic officials said they would tell the IOC that nine IOC members may have broken rules during Nagano's successful bid for the 1992 Winter Games.
In Sydney, bid official John Fahey said Tuesday he told the IOC there was no fresh evidence of wrongdoing by IOC members during the city's successful quest for the 2000 games.
"Every director has responded in writing and all directors, with one exception, have stated that they have no evidence of any improper conduct by any IOC member with regard to the Sydney bid," Fahey said.
Former Sydney bid team member Bruce Baird has previously told the IOC executive board of a matter concerning one IOC member, whom Fahey said had since resigned.
Sydney organizers have launched an independent inquiry into the bid process, with the investigation to be made public on March 11.
Another winning city -- Atlanta -- failed to make the IOC deadline, although bid officials said they did not find any wrongdoing during an internal review.
The U.S. Olympic Committee said the results of the review by former officials of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games would be submitted by March 1.
"ACOG has advised us they have no information relevant to the IOC request," USOC spokesman Mike Moran said.
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