The “Alimzan Tokhtakhounov” – File Press Review

Transcription

The “Alimzan Tokhtakhounov” –
File
Press Review
The Hague, 10 September 2002
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. 11/02/2002
5
II. 17/02/2002
8
III. 19/02/2002
10
IV. 31/07/2002
12
Alleged crime boss arrested in scandal
12
'Mafia boss' held for Olympic fixing
15
Quiet investigation - FBI probed Russian during Salt Lake City Olympics
17
Quid pro quo
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OLIMPIADI - SU RUSSO ARRESTATO ANCHE INDAGINI POLIZIA ROMA
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Arrestato in Italia uzbeko per corruzione Olimpiadi Salt Lake
22
V. 01/08/2002
24
Olympischer Eiskunstlauf-Skandal mit Nachspiel
24
ISU Seeking Information For Probe
27
Man accused in figure skating fix attempt to be extradited to U.S.
30
Kafelnikov, Safin both friends of Tokhtakhounov
33
IOC chief 'appalled' by organized crime involvement
35
Scandal linked to bribery at Salt Lake Olympics
37
Russian criminal blamed for bribing Olympic judges
38
Canadian golden duo have 'moved on'
39
Russian officials deny Olympic fix plot
41
Russia Figure Skating Fed surprised at accusations of bribing
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"sorprendido" y "aterrado" por la posible implicación del crimen organizado
en Salt Lake City
46
The Russian Olympic Committee will stand up their interests
47
Tokhtakhounov et la piste mafieuse
48
Russian police not interested in alleged Olympic skating fixer
49
El amano en los Juegos de Salt Lake City, es sólo uno de los numerosos
cargos contra
50
Mafia-Boss sol Eiskunstlauf-Entscheidungen beeinflusst haben
51
Italian neighbors call Russian criminal born polite
53
Russian law has no claims against Taivanchik - Source in Interior Ministry
54
Tokhtakhounov had no way of influencing Figure Skating Competition
55
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RFE/RL Newsline
56
French judge a scapegoat claims lawyer
57
Rogge "appalled" by Russian crime link to skate scandal
58
"We were robbed" of gold claim Italians after figure skating arrest
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Rogge shocked by alleged mafia link to skate scandal
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Russians stunned by new figure skating row
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64
65
Italian insist "robbed" of skating medal
66
Terremoto sui Giochi
67
VI. 02/08/2002
69
Le scandale du patinage s'etende
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Russian Officials Reject Link to Scandal
72
Russian Olympic champions to sue US television network
77
ISU shocke by scandal around Olympic awards
78
Russian Olympic champions to sue US television network
79
Russian Olympic Committee to stand up for athletes
80
Russian, French athletes do not need judge conspiracy
81
Tokhtakhounov stunned by charges, pleads innocence
82
French skating chief denies links with alleged Olympic fixer
83
Russischer Mafiaboss festgenommen
86
Prosecutor alleges mafia role in Olympic Skating Controversy
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Tokhtakhounov's arrest
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Com'é sporco il ghiaccio olimpico Svelati i contenuti delle intercettazioni telefon
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VII. 03/08/2002
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93
Pound fordert den Ausschluss des Eiskunstlaufes von Olympia
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Die Russen-Mafia im Sport
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Rogge sieht olympische Zukunft
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VIII. 05/08/2002
100
Le couple Anissina-Peizerat évoquent un "coup monté"
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Olympischer Paarlauf-Skandal - Alle gegen die Mafia, Politik will helfen
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"Mafia-Affäre"zieht weite Kreise
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Schily sagt Unterstützung zu
105
Bach mahnt zur Wachsamkeit
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IX. 06/08/2002
107
British official 'vindicated'
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Russian officials say alleged mobster a braggart, not a fixer
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X. 07/08/2002
110
XI. 08/08/2002
112
XII. 09/08/2002
114
XIII. 13/08/2002
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I. 11/02/2002
Russian judgment
Berezhnaya, Sikharulidze take gold in pairs
Posted: Monday February 11, 2002 11:18 PM
Updated: Tuesday February 12, 2002 4:26 PM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- With a
disgusted wave of his hand, David
Pelletier seemed to sum up what many
were thinking: Figure skating will never
outgrow judging controversies.
Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze
extended Russia's dominance of Olympic
pairs Monday night by the slimmest of
margins over Canada's Pelletier and Jamie
Sale. One judge, from China, favored the
Russians in a tiebreaker.
"Without a doubt, I am ashamed for my
Elena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze kept the Russians'
sport," said the Canadian world
pairs dominance going. AP
champions' choreographer, Lori Nichol,
who admittedly is not unbiased.
Pelletier said: "When the marks came up, I am a human being, I was
sad to come second."
It was clear who the crowd thought had won as it chanted "Six, Six"
after the Canadians finished their routine and Pelletier fell to his
knees to kiss the ice.
And many fans booed when the scoreboard showed Russia had won
Olympic gold for the 11th consecutive Winter Games.
"When you skate your best and come in second, it is difficult," said
Sale, who recovered from a collision with Sikharulidze during
warmups. "It shook me up. ... It was kind of a nightmare. I just said,
'This is my ice, my time.' I went out and fought to the very end."
When Sikharulidze and Sale collided, it sent her sprawling to the ice
on her hands and knees. But each team shook off the mishap to
skate superbly.
"I hope everything is good with Jamie," Sikharulidze said. "It was
just a small accident."
The Russians saw little reason to wonder about the results.
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"Controversy about what decision?" said Tamara Moskvina, their
coach. "The results are already written, publicized and announced.
The public stadium applauded for the silver medalists, the gold
medalists and the bronze medalists.
"For two years, we considered that Elena and Anton won, but it
went to the other couple. We didn't accuse the North American
block, we just accepted it. So now it is our time."
China's Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo won the bronze.
American champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman finished
fifth, but he called the performance "the greatest thing we've ever
done." The other Americans, Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn,
finished 13th.
The Russians collected seven 5.9s for artistry, with the 5.9 from the
Chinese judge making the difference -- and ensuring a Russian or
Soviet pair has won every gold medal since 1964.
But even the NBC broadcasters thought the Canadians had won.
"How did that happen?" asked 1984 Olympic champion Scott
Hamilton.
"That will be debated forever."
The winners made one error when Sikharulidze stepped out of a
double axel. But their skill for skating in unison and the passion of
their program, to "Meditation," won over enough judges -- if not the
crowd.
The Canadians, who had won their last nine competitions, then
responded with a spectacular, mistake-free performance to "Love
Story" that included two huge throw jumps.
They didn't, however, get the 6.0s the fans sought, and only four
5.9s for artistry, leaving them sore and in second.
"What we can't control, we can't control," said Pelletier, who was
near tears. "That's the way it is. If I didn't want this to happen to me,
I would have gone downhill on skis."
The gold capped a long, sometimes distressing climb for
Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze, who finished second at the 1998 Games
and then won two world titles.
In 2000, Berezhnaya failed a drug test, which she said was caused
by over-the-counter cold medicine. They withdrew from the world
championships, then were suspended for three months by the
International Skating Union and stripped of their European crown.
The Russians also skipped last month's European championships
because she hurt her leg.
Far worse was a head cut in 1996, when her former partner, Oleg
Shliakov, sliced her with his skate while they practiced a spin.
Berezhnaya barely escaped injuries to her brain.
But now, she and Sikharulidze, who train in Hackensack, N.J., are
Olympic champions, giving Moskvina four Olympic pairs gold
medalists.
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"You know, all competitions are decided by fate," Sikharulidze
said, "and every time by different skating from each pairs."
Moskvina also coaches Ina and Zimmerman, the three-time U.S.
champions who had a magical night, even though they didn't win a
medal.
Ina, who was ninth in the 1994 Games and fourth in '98 partnered
with Jason Dungjen, leaped like a schoolgirl with straight A's on her
report card when she saw the couple's marks. She and Zimmerman,
who became her partner in 1998, flashed smiles with 30 seconds left
in their routine.
And Ina pumped her fist in the air as they entered their final spin.
The highlight of their performance was their candle lift, in which
Zimmerman carried Ina around more than one-third of the rink
while she is upside-down, her head resting on his shoulder.
"It was so much fun, in one way I wish it could last another four
minutes," Ina said. "But I'm glad it ended where it did, because I
don't think I could've contained my excitement anymore."
Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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II. 17/02/2002
Golden moment
Canadian duo receives pairs skating medals
Posted: Sunday February 17, 2002 11:08 PM
Updated: Monday February 18, 2002 12:55 AM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- These are gold medals to be
shared, not divided.
Jamie Sale and Elena Berezhnaya climbed the medals
podium hand-in-hand to cheers of a packed arena, while
David Pelletier and Anton Sikharulidze chatted like dear
old friends.
Bound together in history by scandal, the pairs figure
skaters are now linked forever by a medal.
Standing next to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze, their
Russian co-champions, Sale and Pelletier accepted the
gold that was awarded Friday in an extraordinary move
Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of
Russia (left) and Jamie Sale and David Pelletier
by the International Olympic Committee.
of Canada pose with their gold medals. AP
"We were just kind of laughing, saying 'This is so funny,
we'll never experience this again,'" Sale said after Sunday night's ceremony. "It was a
moment to be the four of us."
A week of bitterness, turmoil and tears was erased in a celebration of two very different
couples, both champions.
"I am so happy because I think now it is finished," Sikharulidze said.
Sale and Pelletier accepted their medals from International Skating Union president Ottavio
Cinquanta, who made the recommendation to award the duplicate golds and who suspended
the judge in the middle of the uproar for misconduct.
But the magnitude of the moment didn't seem to sink in for Sale and Pelletier until O Canada
was played after the Russian anthem. As the Canadian flag rose beside the Russian flag, tears
of joy filled Sale's eyes and Pelletier began blinking rapidly, as if to keep from crying.
When a camera closed in on Sale, her grin spread a little wider and she winked.
"This was better than I expected,'"Pelletier said. "The four of us were part of history. It was a
tough few days, but now we're happy to put some closure to it and we can go on and be
happy with our gold medal."
When the anthem finished, the couples turned to the cheering crowd, waving their yellow
roses in acknowledgment. Pelletier and Sikharulidze hugged; Berezhnaya and Sale did, too.
Then Pelletier put his arms around Berezhnaya as if they were the best of friends. Afterward,
the Canadians gave the Russians gifts, tokens of a camaraderie forged in the midst of a
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nightmare.
"Both of us have had a hard time ... and it is not fair to us as athletes," Sale said.
Sale and Pelletier, who are also a couple off the ice, finished second to Berezhnaya and
Sikharulidze by the slimmest of margins, losing 5-4 in the pairs free skate last Monday.
Boos rained down at the Salt Lake Ice Center when the marks flashed, and Pelletier buried
his head in his hands as Sale cried. With silver medals around their neck that time, both wept
as they stood on the podium and listened to the Russian national anthem.
The tears Sunday night were different.
Skating has a long history of questionable decisions, but this one was bigger than any other.
When French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne admitted she'd been pressured to put the
Russians first, the ISU knew it had to do something extraordinary. At the ISU's request, the
IOC on Friday awarded a second gold medal to Sale and Pelletier, making them cochampions.
"It is an exit out of a situation there isn't really an exit out of," Valentin Piseyev, chairman of
the Russian Figure Skating Federation, said before the ceremony.
Sale and Pelletier originally were supposed to get their gold medals Thursday night -bumping up against the women's free skate. But not even the darlings of Salt Lake City could
interfere with that. After all, Americans hope to see Michelle Kwan or Sasha Cohen or Sarah
Hughes win a medal that night. Or maybe a few.
Five minutes after the original dance ended, the two couples -- dressed in their national
warm-up suits -- appeared in an entry way just off the ice. One big difference: Berezhnaya
and Sikharulidze were already wearing the burnished gold medals.
At first, it didn't look like a momentous occasion. While the Olympic anthem played,
Pelletier and Sikharulidze chatted like two schoolboys in the back of the room.
As the couples were introduced -- "Welcome to the gold medalists!" -- Berezhnaya and Sale
smiled at each other and climbed the podium. Pelletier and Sikharulidze followed, still
talking and laughing.
Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze had worried about how they would be received, but within
minutes it was clear the reception would be grand.
Then, finally, it was Sale and Pelletier's turn, and the crowd responded with a roar that shook
the building.
"It was just a bizarre moment, it was so weird," Sale said. "But we said we will make the best
of it, and we smiled and went out and had fun.
"We are never going to experience that again. We hope not, anyway."
Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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III. 19/02/2002
Almost a week after competing in pairs figure skating, Canadians Jamie Sale and David
Pelletier received gold medals Sunday. The IOC and international skating union decided
Friday to award additional golds to the Canadians, who are now co-champions with the
Russian team of Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze.
• Photo Gallery: Skating on thin ice
• New and proposed scoring system comparison
• Judges Scorecards
• TIME.com: A Sport on Thin Ice
Monday, Feb. 18
• ISU council votes to scrap skating judging system
Sunday, Feb. 17
• ISU looks to revamp skating rules
• French judges seeks hearing
• Russian chief blames media for skate debate
Saturday, Feb. 16
• Canadian pair to receive golds on Sunday
• French skating officials urge cleanup
Friday, Feb. 15
• Canadian pair to get gold medals; judge suspended
• Le Gougne at the heart of scandal
• Russian official indignant at scandal
• Skaters have mixed reaction to Canadians receiving gold
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• Jones Jr. hopes skating decision will get him boxing gold
• Video Box: Rogge and IOC will continue to investigate Skategate.
• Video Box: SI's Brian Cazaneuve defines factors in IOC's ruling.
• Video Box: Former judge chats about sport's subjective nature.
Thursday, Feb. 14
• Canadian official asks panel to award a second gold
• ISU head says he won't speed up process
• Video Box: Berezhnaya, Sikharulidze appear on Larry King Live.
Wednesday, Feb. 13
• ISU says it can't change pairs results
• French official says judge was pressured
• Video Box: Sale and Pelletier appear on Larry King Live.
• Video Box: Kerrigan provides her perspective on the controversy.
• Video Box: IFS's Lund: ISU can't change outcome.
Tuesday, Feb. 12
• ISU launches inquiry into pairs judging
• Canadians furious over controversial pairs decision
• Pelletier considers quitting skating after controversy
• Video Box: Canadian skaters react to the judging controversy.
Monday, Feb. 11
• Russians Berezhnaya, Sikharulidze take gold in pairs
• Sale, Sikharulidze crash in warmups
• Russian victory stuns television broadcasters
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IV. 31/07/2002
Alleged crime boss arrested in scandal
Posted: Wednesday July 31, 2002 2:00 PM
Updated: Thursday August 01, 2002 7:43 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- A reputed Russian crime boss was
arrested Wednesday on charges he fixed two figure skating
events at the Salt Lake City Games by arranging a voteswapping deal, yet another bizarre twist in a scandal that
has tainted the sport.
Alimzan Tokhtakhounov, picked up in Italy on U.S. charges,
is accused of scheming to get a French judge to vote for the
Russian pairs team, which won the gold medal. In exchange,
he arranged for the Russian judge to vote for the winning
French ice dancing team, according to a criminal complaint
filed in Manhattan federal court.
The judging controversy, the biggest in Olympic history,
resulted in a duplicate set of gold medals being awarded to
the Canadian pairs team.
Alimzan Tokhtakhounov was
charged with conspiracy to
commit wire fraud and
conspiracy to commit bribery.
AP
Wiretaps used in a mob investigation captured a series of telephone calls
between Tokhtakhounov in Italy and unnamed conspirators during the games
that "lay out a pattern of conduct that connects those two events," U.S. Attorney
James Comey told a news conference.
The suspect "arranged a classic quid pro quo: 'You'll line up support for the
Russian pair, we'll line up support for the French pair, and everybody will go
away with the gold, and perhaps there'll be a little gold for me,"' Comey said.
Prosecutors said that Tokhtakhounov hoped he would be rewarded with a visa to
return to France, where he once lived.
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FBI probed Russian
during Winter Games
NEW YORK (AP) -- In the middle of
the figure skating uproar at the Salt
Lake City Olympics, an FBI agent
quietly sought out French judge
Marie-Reine Le Gougne to ask if she
knew a Russian mobster who lived in
the south of France.
Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze won the
gold medal by the slimmest of margins in pairs
figure skating, defeating Canadians Jamie Sale and
David Pelletier. But French judge Marie-Reine Le
Gougne said the next day she'd been pressured to
vote for the Russians, who slipped during their
routine while the Canadians were virtually flawless.
Le Gougne later recanted but still was suspended,
as was the head of the French skating federation,
Didier Gailhaguet. Neither returned telephone
messages seeking comment, but Le Gougne's Salt
The agent said he was following a tip
from an anonymous source in London Lake City-based lawyer, Erik Christiansen, said she
that a deal had been reached
"has no involvement and no knowledge of this
between French skating federation
person or these allegations."
The Russian's name was Alimzan
Tokhtakhounov.
president Didier Gailhaguet and
Tokhtakhounov: If Gailhaguet fixed
the pairs event, Tokhtakhounov
would give $1 million to the French
hockey team.
A week after the pairs competition, the ice dancing
team of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat won
France's first gold in figure skating since 1932.
Anissina was born in Russia. Irina Lobacheva and
Ilia Averbukh of Russia took the silver.
When asked about the charges, Peizerat told The
Associated Press: "I have never heard of this
man."
Tokhtakhounov was arrested at his resort in Forte
dei Marmi in northern Italy. He was charged with
conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to
commit bribery relating to sporting contests. He
faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
The criminal complaint identified Tokhtakhounov as a "major figure in
international Eurasian Organized Crime."
According to the complaint, Tokhtakhounov "has been involved in drug
distribution, illegal arms sales and trafficking in stolen vehicles." A confidential
source told the FBI that he also had fixed beauty pageants in Moscow in the
early 1990s.
The complaint alleges he used his influence with members of the Russian and
French skating federations "in order to fix the outcome of the pairs and ice
dancing competitions at the 2002 Olympics."
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The court papers also contend he worked with "unnamed co-conspirators."
Federal investigators said they obtained recorded telephone conversations
between Tokhtakhounov and a French ice dancer, in which he brags about being
able to influence the outcome of competitions, a senior law enforcement official
said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official was not certain whether the ice dancer was one of the winning team
members.
The complaint made clear the case was based on confidential informants and
wiretaps. At one point, it said wiretaps caught the defendant talking to a female
ice dancer's mother, telling her, "We are going to make your daughter an
Olympic champion -- even if she falls, we will make sure she is number one."
Skating officials were stunned by the allegations.
Lloyd Ward, head of the U.S. Olympic Committee, said the organization was
"deeply concerned."
"American athletes and the competitors from all nations must be assured that
they compete on a level playing field," he said.
Giselle Davies, spokeswoman for the International Olympic Committee, said:
"This kind of alleged activity has no place in the Olympic movement."
Pam Coburn, head of Skate Canada, added, "The severity of these allegations is
shocking."
Like the pairs competition, ice dancing was a point of controversy at the games.
Lithuanians Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas, who finished fifth, filed a
protest questioning the voting that placed the couple lower than the Italian and
Canadian couples who fell during the free dance, the final phase of the
competition. The International Skating Union rejected the protest.
The Lithuanians said they didn't expect to win their appeal but came forward to
generate publicity and expose judging inconsistencies.
"We wouldn't have done it unless there was such a stark realization that something was wrong,
especially with the two skaters falling," said John Domanskis, spokesman for the Lithuanian Olympic
team. "That certainly made it easier for our skaters to say, 'Yes, there is a problem, and it should be
corrected.'"
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Wednesday, 31 July, 2002, 19:44 GMT 20:44 UK
'Mafia boss' held for Olympic fixing
The French team won the ice dancing competition
An alleged Russian crime boss has been arrested on charges that he
tried to fix certain skating competitions at the 2002 Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City.
United States Federal prosecutors said the man, Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov, was arrested in Italy on charges of trying to
influence the judges.
"The defendant was arrested by Italian law
enforcement authorities with the assistance
of the FBI," said a statement from the office
of the US Attorney in New York.
A criminal complaint filed in Manhattan
federal court identified Mr Tokhtakhounov as
a "major figure in international Eurasian
organised crime".
The complaint alleges that he used his
influence with members of the Russian and
French skating federations to fix the
outcome of the pairs and ice dancing
competitions at the 2002 Olympics.
Canadians Jamie Sale and
David Pelletier were awarded
late gold medals
Controversial judging
According to the Associated Press news agency, prosecutors allege
that Mr Tokhtakhounov arranged for the Russian judge to vote for
the French ice dancing team of Marina Anissina and Gwendal
Peizerat. The pair won a gold medal.
15
In exchange, he is alleged to have been influential in getting the
French judge to vote for the Russian figure skating team of Elena
Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, which also won gold.
This latter decision was marked by controversy during the games.
The Russian team only beat Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier
by the slimmest of margins.
A day after the awards were given, French judge Marie-Reine Le
Gougne admitted she had been pressurised by French figure skating
President Didier Gailhaguet to put the Russians first.
The judges subsequently awarded gold medals to the Canadian team
as well, and both Ms Le Gougne and Mr Gailhaguet were suspended
from the International Skating Union for three years.
Lithuanian protest
The Olympic ice dancing competition was also mired in controversy.
The Lithuanians, who finished fifth, filed a protest questioning the
judging of the competition, claiming they should not have been
placed lower than the Italian and Canadian couples, who fell during
the final phase of the competition.
The International Skating Union rejected the protest.
At the time, the Lithuanians said they did not expect to win their
appeal but came forward to generate publicity and expose judging
inconsistencies.
"It was an impetus to do it, but we would not have done it unless
there was such a stark realization that something was wrong," said
John Domanskis, spokesman for the Lithuanian Olympic team.
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Quiet investigation
FBI probed Russian during Salt Lake City Olympics
Posted: Wednesday July 31, 2002 8:36 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- In the middle of the figure skating uproar at the Salt Lake
City Olympics, an FBI agent quietly sought out French judge Marie-Reine Le
Gougne to ask if she knew a Russian mobster who lived in the south of France.
The Russian's name was Alimzan Tokhtakhounov.
The agent said he was following a tip from an anonymous source in London that
a deal had been reached between French skating federation president Didier
Gailhaguet and Tokhtakhounov: If Gailhaguet fixed the pairs event,
Tokhtakhounov would give $1 million to the French hockey team.
"It sounds like science fiction to me," Le Gougne's attorney, Erik Christiansen,
told the agent.
The deal was described differently, but just as fantastically, Wednesday when
federal prosecutors said Tokhtakhounov had been arrested in Italy on U.S.
charges he fixed the pairs figure skating and ice dancing events at Salt Lake
City.
The suspect "arranged a classic quid pro quo: 'You'll line up support for the
Russian pair, we'll line up support for the French pair and everybody will go away
with the gold, and perhaps there'll be a little gold for me,"' U.S. Attorney James
Comey said, referring to conversations heard through wiretaps in an
investigation into the mob.
Prosecutors said that Tokhtakhounov hoped he would be rewarded with a visa to
return to France, where he once lived.
After meeting with the FBI agent during the games, Christiansen spoke with Le
Gougne about Tokhtakhounov.
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"I confirmed with Ms. Le Gougne that she never heard of him, she'd never met
with him, she'd never seen him, she'd never spoken with him," Christiansen said
Wednesday. "And I believe her. She doesn't know this guy from anything."
The FBI never approached Le Gougne again, Christiansen said, and
Tokhtakhounov's name didn't come up at the International Skating Union inquiry
that resulted in Le Gougne's suspension.
"I sat through two days of hearings in Lausanne, Switzerland, and examined
witness after witness, and there was not even a hint of any of this kind of stuff,"
Christiansen said.
Le Gougne, at home in France, was not immediately available for comment. She
contended after the pairs competition she had been pressured to vote for the
Russians, Elena Berezhanaya and Anton Sikharulidze, as part of a vote-swapping
scheme involving ice dancing, witnesses testified at a hearing during the games.
She later recanted, saying she voted her conscience.
The Russian pairs team was awarded the gold medal in a 5-4 vote, but after four
days of controversy Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were given
duplicate gold medals and Le Gougne was suspended.
Pairs referee Ron Pfenning and international judge Jon Jackson were two key
witnesses against Le Gougne during the ISU investigation and at the hearing in
Lausanne, where she and Gailhaguet were banned for three years, plus the 2006
Games. After Tokhtakhounov's arrest, Pfenning and Jackson's attorney,
Benjamin Kaplan, said they, too, want to see a wider probe by the ISU into
corruption in figure skating.
"I'm pleased because obviously there were a lot of suspicions that it wasn't the
French alone, that the Russians were deeply involved, and this confirms it,"
Kaplan said from his office in San Francisco.
"Just like men in power used to have ballerinas in Russia, now the thing is to
have champion skaters or other champions in other sports. The Russian mafia is
deep into sport."
The U.S. Olympic Committee said it was "deeply concerned" with the
announcement of Tokhtakhounov's arrest and said it was important to get at the
truth.
Bob Steadward, manager of Sale and Pelletier, called the news "a shock to the
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skating world."
A week after the pairs competition, the ice dancing team of Marina Anissina and
Gwendal Peizerat won France's first gold in figure skating since 1932. Irina
Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh of Russia took the silver.
Asked about the charges against Tokhtakhounov, Peizerat said: "I have never
heard of this man."
By winning the ice dancing competition by a 5-4 split of the judges, the Russianborn Anissina and Peizerat ended Russian domination of the event. Russians had
won four straight and six of the previous seven Olympic ice dancing events.
Max Miller, an attorney who also represents Le Gougne, viewed Tokhtakhounov's
arrest with as much skepticism as he viewed the ISU investigation.
"This makes the whole thing more fishy," Miller said. "Were the other judges
approached? What does the Russian mafia get out of it? It seems to raise more
questions than it answers."
Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
19
The French ice dancing team won the gold in Salt Lake City. AP
Quid pro quo
A reputed Russian crime boss was arrested on U.S. charges that he fixed two figure skating
events at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Alimzan Tokhtakhounov allegedly arranged
for the Russian pairs team and the French ice dancing team to win gold medals in their respective
events.
20
OLIMPIADI - SU RUSSO ARRESTATO ANCHE INDAGINI POLIZIA ROMA.
Di RO.
191 words
31 July 2002
22:02
ANSA - Sports News Service
Italian
(c)2002 ANSA.
(V. ANSA 'OLIMPIADI: SALT LAKE, ARRESTO...' DELLE 21.15 CIRCA)
ROMA, 31 LUG - Ci sono indagini anche della polizia di Roma su Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, il
presunto esponente della Mafia Russa, arrestato a Forte dei Marmi, che l'FbI accusa di essere al
centro del maxi-intrigo che avrebbe condizionato l'esito delle Olimpiadi di Salt Lake City nel
pattinaggio artistico su ghiaccio.
Il Servizio centrale operativo (Sco) e la squadra mobile romana hanno depositato ai sostituti
procuratori Diana De Martino e Roberto Cavallone della direzione distrettuale antimafia della
procura della Repubblica di Roma una copiosa informativa su "Brigada Izmailovskaya", una delle
maggiori organizzazione criminali di Mosca, guidata da Tokhtakhunov.
L'indagine ha ricostruito le relazioni avute dal russo, sia in Italia che all'estero, con persone del
mondo della criminalità, dello spettacolo, della politica, del giornalismo e dello sport.
Dalle attività di intercettazione sono emersi gravi responsabilità, non solo sui recenti Giochi olimpici
invernali di Salt Lake City, ma anche per importanti attività sportive agonistiche in Italia.
L'indagine, ancora in corso, è condotta anche dalla Direzione distrettuale
antimafia di Venezia.
Document ansasn0020020731dy7v002xt
© 2002 Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive LLC (trading as Factiva).
All rights reserved.
21
Arrestato in Italia uzbeko per corruzione Olimpiadi Salt Lake.
813 words 31 July
(c) Reuters Limited 2002
2002
23:03
Reuters
-
Notizie
in
Italiano
Italian
ROMA, 31 luglio (Reuters) - La Guardia di Finanza di Venezia, in collaborazione con organismi di
polizia esteri, ha arrestato un elemento di un'organizzazione che tentò di alterare i risultati di
alcune gare alle Olimpiadi di Salt Lake City corrompendo i giudici. È quanto si legge in un
comunicato diffuso dalla GdF.
I finanzieri del Gico - Gruppo investigativo criminalità organizzata - di Venezia hanno arrestato
Takhtakhounov Alimzhan, di origine uzbeka ma da anni residente in Italia. L'uomo farebbe parte
con altri esponenti del crimine organizzato russo di un'organizzazione operante in territorio italiano,
denominata "Brigata del Sole".
Le indagini, coordinate dalla procura della Repubblica di Venezia, sono state condotte dal Gico in
collaborazione con Fbi, Interpol ed Europol.
I reati contestati ad Alimzhan sono associazione a delinquere, truffa e corruzione. Il mandato di
cattura nei suoi confronti era stato emesso dall'Autorità giudiziaria di New York.
Sono tuttora in corso in diverse città italiane perquisizioni domiciliari. I particolari dell'operazione
verranno resi noti domani nel corso di una conferenza stampa a Mestre.
VENEZIA/NEW YORK, 31 luglio (Reuters) - La Guardia di Finanza, in collaborazione con Fbi,
Europol e Interpol, ha arrestato a Venezia per riciclaggio un cittadino russo che risulta coinvolto
anche nel tentativo di corruzione di un giudice alle Olimpiadi invernali di Salt Lake City. È quanto
riferiscono la GdF di Mestre e l'ufficio del procuratore di Manhattan.
Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, cittadino russo di origine uzbeka nato nel '49 e da anni residente in
Italia, è stato arrestato oggi pomeriggio nella sua villa a Forte dei Marmi, in Versilia, e condotto alle
18 di oggi a Venezia dai finanzieri del Gico - Gruppo investigativo criminalità organizzata -, come
conferma la GdF di Venezia che ha eseguito l'operazione.
L'uomo è stato trattenuto negli uffici della Finanza fino alle 21 e trasferito poi nel carcere di
Venezia. Fonti investigative hanno riferito che verrà estradato negli Stati Uniti.
Al momento del suo arresto nella villa, con l'uomo c'erano altri sei connazionali, che sono stati
perquisiti. Al termine degli accertamenti nella villa, i finanzieri hanno sequestrato computer e
documenti.
Da due anni l'uomo era anche al centro di un'indagine italiana per riciclaggio di denaro sporco sul
nostro territorio nazionale assieme ad altri esponenti della criminalità organizzata russa
appartenenti all'organizzazione "Brigata del Sole" che operava in Italia. Tokhtakhounov era attivo
nel Veneto, ma soprattutto tra Roma e Milano, riferiscono le fonti investigative. Aveva abitato a
22
lungo a Roma, e da qualche tempo si era trasferito a Milano, ma aveva a disposizione abitazioni
definbite "lussuose" in tutta Italia.
È poi emerso che l'uomo era anche un elemento di spicco di un'organizzazione che ai Giochi
olimpici invernali di Salt Lake City aveva tentato di alterare il risultato di una gara di pattinaggio
corrompendo un giudice. Il mandato di cattura nei suoi confronti - basato tra l'altro su una serie di
intercettazioni telefoniche messe a disposizione dagli investigatori italiani ai ccolleghi Usa
nell'ambito dell'inchiesta sul riciclaggio - era stato emesso lo scorso 22 luglio dall'Autorità
giudiziaria di New York.
Le indagini che hanno portato all'arresto, coordinate dalla Procura della Repubblica di Venezia,
sono state condotte dal Gico. I reati contestati a Tokhtakhounov sono associazione a delinquere,
truffa e corruzione.
Sono tuttora in corso in diverse città italiane perquisizioni domiciliari. I particolari dell'operazione
verranno resi noti domani nel corso di una conferenza stampa a Mestre.
AL CENTRO DELLO SCANDALO LO SCAMBIO DI VOTI
L'uomo avrebbe avuto a che fare con lo scandalo che ha coinvolto la giudice francese delle gare di
pattinaggio a Salt Lake City Marie Reine Le Gougne, che disse di essere stata spinta dal
presidente della federazione francese di pattinaggio Didier Gailhaguet a votare per una coppia
russa alle Olimpiadi invernali.
Tokhtakhounov è accusato di avere cospirato per assicurare a una squadra di danza sul ghiaccio
francese la medaglia d'oro.
Lo scorso febbraio Gailhaguet negò di avere esercitato pressioni su Le Gougne affinché votasse
per i russi nella finale a coppie in cambio del voto dei russi nella competizione di danza.
La squadra francese di Marina Anissina e Gwendal Peizerat vinse per il 5-4 dei giudici. Anissina,
nata in Russia, pattinava per la squadra francese. La squadra russa di Irina Lobacheva e Ilya
Averbukh arrivò seconda seguita dai campioni del mondo italiani Barbara Fusar Poli e Maurizio
Margaglio.
La Federazione internazionale di pattinaggio decise il 30 aprile di sospendere Le Gougne e
Gailhaguet per tre anni. La scorsa settimana la giudice francese ha annunciato un appello contro la
decisione.
Le Gougne è accusata di avere danneggiato i canadesi Jamie Sale e David Pelletier a favore dei
russi Yelena Berehnaya e Anton Sikharulidze. Lo scandalo scosse le Olimpiadi invernali e portò
alla decisione di una medaglia d'oro ex aequo per il pattinaggio artistico di coppia.
Document reutit0020020731dy7v0086h
23
V. 01/08/2002
Olympischer
Eiskunstlauf-Skandal
mit Nachspiel
Thomas Bach: "Grausame
Entwicklung für den Sport"
Der olympische Sport sieht
sich mit einer neuen
Dimension des Betrugs
konfrontiert. Nach
Erkenntnissen des
amerikanischen
ap
Bundeskriminalamtes FBI
Die umstrittende Kampfrichterin Marie Reine Le
und der Staatsanwaltschaft
Gougne
in New York hat der
russische Mafia-Boss Alimsan Tochtachunow bei den
Olympischen Winterspielen in Salt Lake City Einfluss auf die
Eiskunstlauf-Entscheidungen im Paarlauf und Eistanzen
genommen.
01.08.2002
Auf Intervention der Staatsanwaltschaft ist
Tochtachunow in Norditalien in Haft genommen
worden. Die USA wollen seine Auslieferung.
Preisrichterin vor Sportgericht verurteilt
"Wenn sich das bewahrheitet, wäre das
schrecklich und eine grausame Entwicklung für den
"Wenn sich das
Sport", sagte der deutsche Vizepräsident des
bewahrheitet, wäre das
Internationalen Olympischen Komitees (IOC),
schrecklich und eine
Thomas Bach. Der Wirtschaftsanwalt aus
grausame Entwicklung
für den Sport"
Tauberbischofsheim hatte im Februar
entscheidenden Anteil an dem Votum des IOCThomas Bach
Exekutivkomitees, neben dem umstrittenen
russischen Siegerpaar Elena Bereschnaja/Anton
Sicharulidse auch den zweitplatzierten Kanadiern
Jami Sale/David Pelletier die Goldmedaille
zuzuerkennen. Der Sieg der Russen hatte die
24
Winterspiele als Skandal überschattet und
besonders in Nordamerika Empörung ausgelöst.
In einem Sportgerichtsverfahren hatte die
Internationale Eislauf- Unon (ISU) die französische
Preisrichterin Marie-Reine Le Gougne und den
französischen Verbandspräsidenten Didier
Gailhaguet als Übeltäter ausgemacht, sie zu einer
Sperre von je drei Jahren verurteilt und von den
Winterspiele 2006 in Turin verbannt. Gailhaguet
soll auf Le Gougne Druck ausgeübt haben, um für
die russischen Paarläufer zu stimmen.
Das FBI ermittelte
Die Ermittlungen des FBI, die am Mittwoch in
New York bei einer Pressekonferenz der
Staatsanwaltschaft bekannt gemacht worden sind,
führten zur Spur von Tochtachunow, einem 1949
im usbekischen Taschkent geborenen Russen. Er
soll nach Moskauer Berichten einer der
einflussreichsten Figuren der russischen Mafia im
Ausland sein und seiner Tätigkeit unter dem
Spitznamen "Taiwantschik" (der kleine Taiwanese)
nachgehen. Zuletzt habe Tochtachunow, der auch
die israelische Staatsbürgerschaft besitzt, junge
russische Models in den Westen vermittelt.
Nach Aussage von US-Richter Jemes B. Comey hat
Tochtachunow einen "klassischen Deal" versucht:
Die französische Punktrichterin sollte für
Bereschnaja/Sicharulidse stimmen, dafür sollte der
russische Kollege im Eistanz die Stimme der ExRussin Marina Anissina und ihrem französischen
Partner Gwendal Peizerat geben. Tatsächlich siegte
das französische Paar mit 5:4 Richterstimmen vor
den Russen Irina Lobatschewa/Ilja Awerbuch.
Richterin Le Gougne hatte unmittelbar nach der
Paarlauf-Entscheidung von einem
"Erpressungsversuch" gesprochen, diese Aussage
jedoch zurückgenommen.
Abgehörte Telefone
Die Staatsanwaltschaft bezieht sich bei ihrer
Anklage auf eine Serie abgehörter Telefonate von
Tochtachunow aus Italien mit ungenannten
Personen während der Winterspiele in Salt Lake
City. Nach der Eistanz-Entscheidung soll eine
Läuferin Tochtachunow angerufen und dabei
behauptet haben, sie hätte auch ohne die russische
Hilfe gewonnen. Der russische Preisrichter "hat uns
nicht auf den ersten Platz gesetzt". Bei dieser
Läuferin handelt es sich offensichtlich um
Goldmedaillen-Gewinnerin Anissina.
In einer ersten Stellungnahme zeigte sich ISUPräsident Ottavio Cinquanta (Italien) "aufs
Äußerste schockiert". Der Name Tochtachunow sei
"Wir können nicht auf
in der zweimonatigen Untersuchung seines
der Grundlage von noch Verbandes nie aufgetaucht. Gegenwärtig gebe es
unbewiesenen
noch zu wenig Informationen, um eine neue
Anschuldigungen
Untersuchung zu starten. "Wir können nicht auf der
arbeiten"
Grundlage von noch unbewiesenen
ISU-Präsident
Anschuldigungen arbeiten." Der Russe sei auch
Cinquanta
25
nicht Mitglied der ISU-Familie. "Wir haben unsere
Arbeit getan. Jetzt ist eine andere Arbeit zu
erledigen."
Kriminelle Mittel neue Dimension
"Es kann nur heißen:
Wehret den Anfängen"
Thomas Bach
Bach sagte für das IOC, "man muss dem Fall
sorgfältig nachgehen". Es müsse alles getan
werden zur Aufklärung. Doping sei die große
Gefahr des Sports "von innen. Der Versuch der
Fremdbestimmung mit kriminellen Mitteln wäre
eine neue Dimension. Es kann nur heißen: Wehret
den Anfängen." Dabei gehe es um die
Zusammenarbeit mit staatlichen Stellen und
Prävention. Der Fall solle auch bei dem Treffen der
IOC-Exekutive Ende August in Lausanne mit den
internationalen Verbänden angesprochen werden.
Sie seien neben dem IOC die "wirklich
Betroffenen".
Das Nationale Olympische Komitee (NOK)
Russlands hat sich von Tochtachunow distanziert.
Es habe mit dem seit langem in Frankreich
lebenden Geschäftsmann nichts zu tun, teile NOKSprecher Gennadi Schwez in Moskau mit. In der
Nachwendezeit waren in Russland immer wieder
Hinweise aufgetaucht, die Mafia nehme Einfluss auf
Spitzensportler und Funktionäre. Dabei gab es auch
Gerüchte, dass kriminelle Elemente Eiskunstläufer
finanziell unterstützen würden.
26
E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS | ARCHIVES
ISU Seeking Information For Probe
By Amy Shipley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 14, 2002; Page D03
The International Skating Union is
urging its members to come
forward if they have knowledge of
improprieties or ties between
skating officials and the alleged
Russian mobster charged with
fixing two Olympic events.
In a letter sent last week to all of
the member countries, the ISU
requested that each investigate all
of its own federation officials for
misconduct or association with the
reputed mobster Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov, reporting back to
the ISU "as quickly as reasonably
possible."
_____
Figure Skating
Scandal_____
• To himself and
friends, Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov,
pictured, was the
toast of Russian high
society. According to
the authorities, he
was a sinister figure
in drug dealing, gun
running and auto
theft.
• Tokhtakhounov was charged July 31
with conspiring to fix the outcomes of
ice skating events in Salt Lake City.
• Michael Wilbon: In figure skating, if
it's broke, put the fix in.
• The French judge at the center of the
scandal was suspended for three years
April 30.
• Sally Jenkins: What will Marie Reine
Le Gougne do for three years?
• The ISU proposes new judging rules
for figure skating.
• The French judge's tainted vote sets
off one of the most complex
controversies in Olympic history.
• Sally Jenkins: Figure skating still has
a lot of problems.
• Essay: Figure skating is flawed -- just
like all of us.
_____
On Our Site_____
• Winter Olympics Section
In the Aug. 9 letter, signed by
ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta
and General Secretary Fredi
Schmid, it was noted that the
organization had thus far received
no new evidence to justify disciplinary action.
"The immediate reporting to the ISU President, General
Secretary or any Council member of any possible evidence
related to wrong-doing is the minimum duty of any person
having such knowledge," the letter stated. "The Council will
follow the ISU Constitution and Regulations in moving
aggressively against any proven wrongdoers for misconduct."
Tokhtakhounov was arrested two weeks ago in Italy and charged
27
by U.S. authorities with trying to manipulate the results of the
pairs and ice dancing competitions at the Salt Lake City Olympics
in February. Tokhtakhounov is opposing his extradition from
Venice to New York, where the charges were filed in federal
court. In April, the ISU suspended a French judge and her
federation president for allegedly manipulating the results of the
pairs competition at the Winter Games.
The letter further warned members that the ISU would follow up
with those who make claims in the media that they have
evidence of a "fix deal" but have been "ignored by the ISU."
Displaying its sensitivity to public suggestions that it hasn't fully
investigated charges related to the Olympic scandal, the ISU said
individuals making such allegations would be asked by the ISU
to provide evidence that is "reasonable, verified and credible."
Should such evidence not be provided, the letter stated, the ISU
would "feel free to comment publicly on such individual's failure."
"Persons making sweeping guilt assertions are of interest to the
media," the letter stated. "These persons may enjoy publicity, or
enjoy portraying the ISU in a suspicious, negative light."
In other news, several judges who attended an ice dance judging
seminar last weekend in Vienna said the controversy did not
come up formally during the three-day meetings, which were
scheduled long before Tokhtakhounov's arrest.
Still, French judge Gilles Vandenbroeck said the topic was
unavoidable outside the moderated sessions and that a certain
tension was on display among the 25 or so referees and judges
in attendance.
"Everybody said, 'No, we don't know who [Tokhtakhounov] is,' "
Vandenbroeck said. "Really, nobody had heard about him. [But]
the atmosphere at this conference was not particularly friendly
between the Western bloc and Eastern bloc [judges]. . . . I had
never seen that before."
© 2002 The Washington Post Company
28
Man accused in figure skating fix attempt to be
extradited to U.S.
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Italian
officials said Thursday that a
man accused of fixing the
figure skating competition at
the 2002 Salt Lake City
Olympic Games would be
extradited to the United
States, most likely after
Italian judges return from
their annual vacation in
September.
Italian authorities were
Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov
investigating Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov, accused of ties
to Russian organized crime, on
other matters when they came
across telephone conversations
in which Tokhtakhounov apparently set up the fix, said
Financial Police Commander Giovanni Mainolfi.
Federal prosecutors in New York charged Tokhtakhounov, a
native of Uzbekistan and living in Italy, with conspiracy to
commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery for
allegedly brokering a deal in which the Russian skaters Elena
Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze would be awarded the
gold medal in the pairs competition. In return, the French
pair Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat would win the
gold in ice dancing.
29
Mainolfi said one of the intercepted phone calls was from a
Salt Lake figure skating judge reporting success to
Tokhtakhounov.
Anissina and Peizerat won the ice dancing gold, but the
decision to award a gold medal to Berezhnaya and
Sikharulidze, who stumbled during their final performance,
touched off a controversy that threatened to overshadow the
rest of the games.
The vote of French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne gave the
Russian pair the gold medal over Canadian skaters Jamie
Sale and David Pelletier, who performed flawlessly.
Questioned about her decision, Le Gougne first said she had
been pressured to vote for the Russians by Didier
Gailhaguet, the head of the French skating federation, but
she later retracted that claim.
Amid a public outcry, Sale and Pelletier, who have since
turned professional, were awarded duplicate gold medals.
After an investigation, the International Skating Union
banned Le Gougne and Gailhaguet from the sport for three
years. The ISU also revamped its judging process.
Sale and Pelletier said Wednesday they weren't surprised by
the arrest.
"It's figure skating," Sale said, smiling and throwing her
hands up. "We just did our job at the Olympics. We did the
best that we could ... We still didn't even know the truth,
and obviously now, everything is kind of coming out in the
wash."
"Wherever there's power, wherever there's money involved,
there's always some bad people around," Pelletier said. "It's
everywhere. It's not just in skating."
30
"It doesn't take away anything
from what we did. We're still
proud, and we still enjoyed 100
percent our Olympic
experience."
Tokhtakhounov, whom a federal
prosecutor said has been the
target of an investigation by the
Sale, left: "Wherever there's power, there's
FBI's organized crime task force
money involved, there's always some bad
for more than a year, was
people around."
arrested by Italian authorities.
U.S. officials would face one count of bribery to influence a
sporting competition and one count of wire fraud if and when
he is extradited.
Mainolfi said the extradition would "for sure" take place.
"According to Italian law, he should be extradited within 45
days, but you have to take into account the fact that from
the first of August until the 15th of September is judicial
holidays so most probably it could be longer," the
commander said.
The complaint against Tokhtakhounov said other unnamed
co-conspirators were involved in the alleged scheme.
An FBI affidavit said Interpol, the international police
organization, believes Tokhtakhounov has been involved in
drug distribution, illegal firearms sales and trafficking in
stolen vehicles, as well as having allegedly fixed beauty
pageants in Moscow in the early 1990s.
Back to the top
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31
Thursday, August 1
Kafelnikov, Safin both friends of Tokhtakhounov
ESPN.com news services
TORONTO -- Russian tennis star Yevgeny Kafelnikov insists
the reputed mobster charged with trying to fix Olympic
skating results has been mistakenly accused.
"He's a good friend of mine, but I'd rather talk about tennis
right now," Kafelnikov said Thursday after losing at the
Tennis Masters Canada.
Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov was arrested Wednesday in Italy on
U.S. charges he set up a vote-swapping scheme at the Salt
Lake City Olympics.
"Whatever happened there, I'm sure it's some kind of
mistake," said Kafelnikov, winner of two Grand Slam singles
titles.
Italian police say an investigation into the Russian mafia
uncovered the alleged ice-skating fix, as well as
Tokhtakhounov's ties to other sports figures, including
Ukrainian tennis player Andrei Medvedev.
Medvedev's Web site featured a 1999 picture of him with
Tokhtakhounov, along with Kafelnikov and fellow Russian
tennis star Marat Safin, the 2000 U.S. Open champion. That
photo and two others with Tokhtakhounov were removed
from the site Thursday.
"He's very close to Medvedev," police Col. Giovanni Mainolfi
said, though he did not speculate on the nature of the
32
relationship. Medvedev could not be reached for comment
Thursday.
Safin, the second seed in Toronto, also admitted to knowing
Tokhtakhounov following his third-round victory over Chilean
Marcelo Rios.
Questioned if he knew him, Safin replied: "Yeah". But he was
evasive when asked if the alleged mobster was his manager.
"I don't mean to be rude but you will not understand, it is not
our problem," said Safin. "I don't think it would be nice to
talk about this today."
Information from the Associated Press and Reuters was used
in this report.
33
'Shocked'
IOC chief 'appalled' by organized crime involvement
Posted: Thursday August 01, 2002 6:33 AM
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- International Olympic Committee
President Jacques Rogge said Thursday he was "appalled" at the
alleged involvement of organized crime in fixing the results of a
figure skating event in the Olympics.
Russian Alimzan Tokhtakhounov was arrested Wednesday in Italy
on United States conspiracy charges. He is accused of persuading a
French judge to vote for a Russian pairs team, and a Russian judge
to vote in favor of a French ice dance team in the Olympic Games in
February in Salt Lake City.
"The IOC is appalled by the revelations, which came as a total
surprise to us," Rogge said. "While we knew from previous
investigations that the judgment in the pairs figure skating was not
correct, we are shocked to learn of the alleged involvement of
organized crime.
"The IOC will want to obtain the full facts and will be liaising with
the International Skating Union to progress things as rapidly as
possible so that the IOC executive board can then examine the case
with all the information available."
Extradition faces delay
The extradition to the United States of Uzbek-born Tokhtakhounov
could take months, police said Thursday.
A police spokesman told Reuters on Thursday that Italy's
extradition process, which can last up to 45 days following an
arrest, would be delayed by Italy's judicial summer break.
34
"At the earliest he could be extradited on September 16 but the
summer recess could cause the process to slip to November," police
spokesman Claudio DiGregorio said.
The recess lasts from August 1 to September 15. Therefore the
extradition could take place at the latest 44 days after September
15. The date of the arrest counts as the first day of the extradition
process.
Tokhtakhounov, who is married to an Italian and a long time
resident of Rome and Milan, is currently in jail in Venice. An antimafia police unit based in Venice spearheaded the arrest.
The U.S. charges allege that Tokhtakhounov, who is over 50,
carried out the scheme to generate goodwill with French authorities
to get an extension of a French visa.
At the Salt Lake Games, French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne
admitted she had been pressured by her federation president Didier
Gailhaguet to favor Russians Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze over Canada's Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.
Le Gougne's vote gave the Russians the win over Sale and Pelletier,
although the Canadians were subsequently awarded duplicate gold
medals. France's Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat won the
dancing gold.
Reuters contributed to this report.
35
Scandal linked to bribery at Salt Lake Olympics.
266 words
1 August 2002
07:57
ITAR Tass
English
(c) 2002 ITAR-TASS
- The Italian authorities have confirmed on Wednesday that leader of a Moscow criminal group
"Izmailovo brigade" Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov has been arrested in Forte de Marmi as a suspect
involved in bribery of judges at the ice dance event at the Salt Lake Olympics. Italian police
reported that Tokhtakhunov was arrested on a warrant issued by US law enforcement bodies.
Tokhtakhunov, born in Uzbekistan in1949, settled in Forte de Marmi, where he bought a small
cottage, a short while ago. He also owns apartments in Rome and Milan.
An investigation into his case has been conducted by the Venice regional department for fighting
organized crime and is supervised by Rome deputy prosecutors general Diana de Martino and
Roberto Cavallone.
Investigators have a tape of a telephone conversation between Tokhtakhunov and Olympic
champion in ice dancing Marina Anisina of Russian descent on March 3, and a tape of another
conversation between Tokhtakhunov and an unnamed Russian sports official.
The recorded conversations hint at a conspiracy linked to the Olympic medals in figure skating and
disclosed that Tokhtakhunov has numerous connections in the field of Russian and Italian
business, culture, journalism and sports.
The FBI demands Tokhtaukhunov's extradition to the United States for subsequent investigation
there.
Barbara Fuzar Poli from the Italian ice dance pair, who claimed the OIympic medals but were left
outside the Olympic pedestal, has been deeply hurt by the injustice at the Olympics, as she said. If
the suspisions are confirmed the Winter Olympic awards in ice dancing should be contested anew,
Barbara declared.
-0-ere.
Document tass000020020801dy810053j
© 2002 Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive LLC (trading as Factiva). All
rights reserved.
FactivaDow Jones & Reuters
36
Russian criminal blamed for bribing Olympic judges.
461 words
1 August 2002
09:27
ITAR Tass
English
(c) 2002 ITAR-TASS
- The Italian authorities have confirmed on Wednesday that leader of a Moscow criminal group
"Izmailovo brigade" Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov has been arrested in Fore del Marni as a suspect
involved in bribery of judges at the figure skating event at the Salt Lake Olympics. Tokhtakhunov
was arrested on a warrant issued by US law enforcement bodies, Itra-Tass was told at the FBI
headquarters in Washington.
US investigators believe that the suspect put pressure on French judge Marie-Reine le Gougne so
as to make her give first place to Russian figure skating pair Yelena Berezhnaya-Anton
Sikhuralidze, who have won the gold. US investigators also accused Tokhtakhunov of a conspiracy
with a Russian judge who was to vote for Frence ice dance duet Marina Anisina - Gwendal
Peisera, who have won the gold medal at the Olympic ice dance event.
A lawsuit filed at the Manhattan district court claims that Tokhtakhunov used his numerous
connections with members of the Russian and French figure skating federations so as to influence
the results of competitions between ice dance duets and pairs at the 2002 Olympics.
Official charges have been brought against Tokhtakhunov, known in the criminal world under the
nickname "Taiwanese", on two counts - making a conspiracy with the aim of fraud and bribery at
sports competitions. Under the US law, Tokhtakhunov, if found guilty, faces a prison term of up to
five years and a fine of 250,000 dollars on each of the counts of the criminal charge.
According to FBI representative Gregory Jones, Toktakhunov's accomplices, whose names have
not been disclosed, are hoped to be brought to justice as well. US law enforcement bodies had
kept an eye on the "Taiwanese" for more than a year.
Tokhtakhunov, born in Uzbekistan in1 949, settled in Fore del Marni, where he bought a small
cottage, a short while ago. He also owns apartments in Rome and Milan.
Investigators have a tape of a telephone conversation between Tokhtakhunov and Olympic
champion in ice dancing Marina Anisina of Russian descent on March 3, and a tape of another
conversation between Tokhtakhunov and an unnamed Russian sports official.
The FBI demandsTokhtaukhunov's extradition to the United States for subsequent investigation
there. If Tokhtatunov is extradited to the United Stats he will most likely be kept in a New York
prison. The Metropolitan correction centre in Manhattan was said to be his most likely "abode".
Barbara Fuzar Poli of the Italian ice dance duet who claimed the OIympic medals but were left
outside the Olympic pedestal, has been deeply hurt by the injustice at the Olympics, as she said. If
the suspicions are confirmed the Winter Olympic awards in ice dancing should be contested anew,
Barbara declared.
Document tass000020020801dy81005ej
© 2002 Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive LLC (trading as Factiva). All rights reserved.
37
Canadian golden duo have 'moved on'
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Canadian pair Jamie Sale and David
Pelletier said on Thursday they had "moved on" from the furor over
the Salt Lake City Olympics figure skating judging.
They were speaking the day after an Uzbek-born man was arrested in
Italy for allegedly fixing results at the Games.
U.S. federal prosecutors in New York said on Wednesday they had
charged Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov over a scheme to fix two skating
competitions at Salt Lake on behalf of French and Russian
competitors.
Sale told NBC's "Today" show on Thursday: "Dave and I have just
really moved on. We moved on even right after [the Games]. As far
as we're concerned, we did our job and that's all that matters.
"We're moving on to bigger and better things and we're trying not to
become involved because it really has nothing to do with us besides
the fact that it was our event."
There was widespread shock at the Games when Russians Elena
Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze were awarded a gold medal in the
pairs ahead of the Canadians, despite a flawed performance.
Sale said: "It's good to see that this is coming out maybe, but is it
really good for our sport."
The Canadian pair, who have since retired from competition, were
awarded a belated gold medal and French judge Marie Reine and her
federation president Didier Gailhaguet have since been banned for
three years for misconduct over the affair.
Pelletier told NBC he thought the scandal was more of a reflection on
38
society rather than on figure skating.
"Where there's money and power there is always a little bit of
corruption," he said. "And it's not only in figure skating but in a lot of
other sports."
39
Russian officials deny Olympic fix plot
Updated: Thursday August 01, 2002 2:56 PM
MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Top Russian Olympic and figure skating officials
on Thursday dismissed allegations that Uzbek-born Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov fixed skating results at the Winter Games in Salt Lake
City.
"It's all looks like complete idiocy," Leonid Tyagachyov, president of the
Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), was quoted as saying by Russian
media.
Tokhtakhounov, also the holder of French and Israeli passports, was
arrested at his Italian seaside residence on Wednesday over a scheme to
fix two Olympic figure skating competitions on behalf of French and
Russian athletes.
He faces extradition to the United States.
U.S. federal prosecutors said they had charged the man, known as
"Taivanchik" or "the Taiwanese" in various circles, with plotting to swap
victory for Russia in pairs competition in exchange for a gold medal for
France in ice dancing.
"I just can't imagine that anybody, outside of sports, can be involved in
such thing as trying to fix the results," Tyagachyov was quoted as saying
from Lausanne, Switzerland.
"In any case, this is news to me because I have never seen this man
myself."
Nikolai Dolgopolov, an executive board member of the Russian Figure
Skating Federation, had a similar view.
"I know almost every skater, coach, official or judge in the sport and I
also attended every single skating competition in Salt Lake City, but I
40
have never come across this name," Dolgopolov told Reuters.
"The whole story is such complete nonsense that it's just not even worth
commenting on it. You can only laugh at it."
ROC spokesman Gennady Shvets said Russian sports and Olympic
officials had had no contacts with Tokhtakhounov despite his big
influence in Russian sporting circles.
"He is a really tremendous, sociable guy -- tough and strong-willed,"
said Shvets. "He was involved in sports and show business. He often
helped people with money."
In Salt Lake City, Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze
edged out the Canadian duo of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier for the
gold medal by a slim 5-4 vote.
The outcome produced a huge public outcry in North America and Sale
and Pelletier were later awarded duplicate gold medals after French
judge Marie Reine Le Gougne said she was pressured by the French
figure skating president to vote for the Russians.
France's Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat won the ice dancing
crown from Russian couple Ilya Averbukh and Irina Lobacheva by the
same 5-4 vote.
According to U.S. investigators, Italian police intercepted
Tokhtakhounov's telephone conversations with a "female ice dancer" and
her mother, where he promised them the gold medal.
"I will make you the Olympic champion even if you fall," said
Tokhtakhounov, who has lived in France for some time.
Police did not identify the skater by name.
Sikharulidze, however, did not believe in the scheme.
"This is quite simply impossible," the skater told Russian television on
Thursday from Heathrow Airport before leaving for Russia following an
exhibition tour of Britain.
"To my mind, it is simply impossible for one person to influence a
decision involving marks being received by several different countries at
the Olympic Games."
41
U.S.-based Averbukh, who won two world junior ice dancing titles with
Russian-born Anissina in the mid-1990s before she moved to France,
also dismissed the allegations.
"The whole story looks so bizarre to me right now that it must be
complete rubbish," the skater told Reuters from his home in Delaware.
"The skating world is such a closely-knit family that it is very hard for
anyone to have any ties with the skating community and go unnoticed.
So I'm sure I would have known or heard this name before if it [the
story] was true."
"Well, since the FBI and the prosecutors are involved in this case, I'll be
paying more attention to what comes out of it. If it turns out to be true,
then we'll see what happens next," Averbukh added. "But in any case, I
don't think we will be crying and begging like the Canadians for the gold
medal."
Attempts to contact the French skaters and skating federation on
Thursday proved unsuccessful.
42
Russia Figure Skating Fed surprised at accusations of bribing.
98 words
1 August 2002
11:36
ITAR Tass
English
(c) 2002 ITAR-TASS
- Accusations that Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov bribed judges at the Salt Lake City
Olympic Games have come as a surprise for the Russian Figure Skating Federation.
The federation learned about it from mass media, and so, it is impossible to say anything concrete
about it. Nobody in the Federation knows anything about Tokhtakhunov, the federation's press
service said.
Federation President Valentin Piseyev is on a business trip abroad and will return to Moscow no
earlier than next Tuesday. Only after studying the matter, he can give comments.
-0-pan/ezh.
Document tass000020020802dy81000rt
rights reserved.
43
Itar-Tass news digest of August 1 - 3.
1 August 2002
13:52
ITAR Tass
English
(c) 2002 ITAR-TASS
MOSCOW - Accusations that Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov bribed judges at the Salt Lake
City Olympic Games have come as a surprise for the Russian Figure Skating
Federation. The federation learned about it from mass media, and so, it is
impossible to say anything concrete about it. Nobody in the Federation knows
anything about Tokhtakhunov, the federation's press service said. Federation
President Valentin Piseyev is on a business trip abroad and will return to
Moscow no earlier than next Tuesday. Only after studying the matter, he can give
comments.
-0-ezh.
Document tass000020020802dy8100001
rights reserved.
44
Patinaje.-El COI, "sorprendido" y "aterrado" por la posible implicación del crimen organizado en ...
357 words
1 August 2002
16:31
Europa Press - Servicio de Deportes
Spanish
(c) 2002 Europa Press. www.europapress.es
Patinaje.-El COI, "sorprendido" y "aterrado" por la posible implicación del crimen organizado en
Salt Lake City.
LAUSANA (SUIZA), 1 (EP/AFP)
El Comité Olímpico Internacional (COI) se mostró hoy "sorprendido" al saber que el crimen
organizado podría estar involucrado en los posibles amaños de las competiciones de patinaje
artístico de los Juegos Olímpicos de invierno de 2002, en Salt Lake City, según indicó su
presidente, Jacques Rogge.
"El COI está aterrado ante estas revelaciones. Estamos sorprendidos al conocer la presunta
implicación del crimen organizado, cuando sabíamos, por investigaciones anteriores, que el juicio
relativo a la competición por parejas no era correcto", destacó Rogge.
"El COI quiere conocer todo lo ocurrido en este caso, y se pondrá en contacto con la Unión
Internacional de Patinaje (ISU) para tratar de hacer avanzar las cosas lo más rápidamente posible,
de manera que el comité ejecutivo del COI pueda examinar el caso, con toda la información
disponible", dijo.
El miércoles, fiscales federales estadounidenses anunciaron el arresto en Italia de Alimzhan
Tokhtakhunov, un ciudadano ruso sospechoso de ser una figura importante del crimen organizado
euroasiático y acusado de haber amañado, con la ayuda de las Federaciones rusa y francesa las
pruebas de pareja y baile de patinaje artístico sobre hielo en los Juegos de invierno de 2002, en
Salt Lake City.
Se sospecha que Tokhtakhunov organizó un acuerdo entre las Federaciones rusa y francesa para
lograr la victoria de los patinadores rusos Elena Berezhnaya y Anton Sikharulidze, en pareja, y de
los franceses Marina Anissina y Gwendal Peizerat, en baile.
Dos responsables franceses, Didier Gailhaguet, presidente de la Federación francesa de deportes
de hielo (FFSG), y la jueza Marie Reine Le Gougne, fueron suspendidos por tres años en abril por
la ISU por haber favorecido a los patinadores rusos en la prueba, que ganaron en detrimento de
los canadienses Jamie Salé y David Pelletier, medallas de plata.
Después del título de los rusos en pareja, los franceses Marina Anissina y Gwendal Peizerat
ganaron la prueba de baile por delante de los rusos Irina Lobacheva y Ilia Averbukh.
Document epsdd00020020801dy81001uq
© 2002 Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive LLC (trading as Factiva). All rights reserved.
45
DIALOG(R)File 607:ITAR/TASS News
(c) 2002 ITAR/TASS News Via Comtex. All rts. reserv.
00154229 20020802214T2731 (THIS IS THE FULLTEXT)
Itar-Tass news digest of August 2
ITAR/TASS News
Friday, August 2, 2002 16:41 EDT
JOURNAL CODE: IT LANGUAGE: ENGLISH RECORD TYPE: FULLTEXT DOCUMENT TYPE:
NEWSWIRE WORD COUNT: 1,215
TEXT:
MOSCOW - The Russian Olympic Committee will stand up for the interests and tranquility of
athletes and their possibility to continue training and enjoy their Olympic gold, says a statement
signed by Committee President Leonid Tyagachyov. Itar-Tass obtained the statement on Friday.
"The Russian Olympic Committee and the entire sports public of the country are seriously
concerned about and perplexed with the foreign press reports on the detention of a certain Mr.
Tokhtakhunov in Italy," the statement runs. "In particular, he is suspected of influencing the
distribution of medals at the figure skating contest of the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. He
allegedly induced the judges to give the first place to Russia's Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze." "The high skills of Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze cause no doubts. The Russian
figure skaters won in the fair contest thanks exclusively to their personal merits, talent and
diligence, as well as the professionalism of coaches and specialists of the Russian Olympic team,"
the statement runs. TBILISI - American general John Shalikashvili has been announced in Tbilisi
as a potential candidate for president in the election of 2005. Parliament deputy German Patsatsiya
called for "a nationwide campaign" in the support of nomination of the American general of
Georgian descent. He says the return of Shalikashvili to his native land will be very good for
Georgia and unite the people. The deputy suggested amending the constitution for enabling the
American general to run for president. He said the initiators of Shalikashvili's nomination would ask
the general to take part in the parliament election in 2003 first in order to prepare for the president
election.
PARIS - Russian citizen Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, who was arrested in Italy on Wednesday on
suspicion of an attempt to juggle results of the figure skating contest at the Salt Lake City Olympics
in winter 2002, is stunned by the charge and does not plead guilty. Tokhtakhunov's Italian lawyer
says his client knows absolutely nothing. On Friday the lawyer met with Tokhtakhunov in prison. He
said they had not seen the act of indictment from the American authorities, which was the basis for
the arrest. Tokhtakhunov has never been to the United States, knows nothing about figure skating,
and is not interested in that sport, the lawyer said. The first court hearing will take place next
Tuesday to confirm or cancel the arrest.
(c) 1996-2002 ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved.
-0-
Copyright (c) 2002 ITAR/TASS News. All rights reserved.
• LEMONDE.FR | 01.08.02 | 17h00
• MIS A JOUR LE 01.08.02 | 18h50
46
Patinage aux JO 2002 : Tokhtakhounov et la piste
mafieuse
Le trucage des compétitions de patinage artistique lors des JO d'hiver 2002 à Salt
Lake City est l'une des nombreuses charges retenues contre le Russe Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov.
Des procureurs fédéraux américains ont annoncé, mercredi, l'arrestation en Italie d'Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov. Ce citoyen russe, soupçonné d'être une figure importante du crime organisé
eurasien, est notamment accusé d'avoir truqué, avec l'aide des Fédérations russe et française,
des épreuves de couple et de danse de patinage artistique lors des Jeux.
Francesco Sacerio Pavone, le procureur antimafia de Venise en charge de l'enquête, "a un
dossier de 700 pages" sur Tokhtakhounov, incarcéré dans la cité des Doges "en attente de son
extradition vers les Etats-Unis", a indiqué la Garde des finances, la police financière italienne.
"Son arrestation est le fruit des enquêtes sur des membres du crime organisé russe opérant
sur le territoire italien et appartenant au groupe criminel appelé Brigade du Soleil, dont
Tokhtakhounov est un des éléments les plus importants", a indiqué la Garde des finances de
Venise dans un communiqué.
Tokhtakhounov est "un personnage de poids, avec des liens dans le monde politique,
économique et financier, et l'enquête sur ses activités se poursuit", a confirmé un responsable
policier sous couvert de l'anonymat.
Il possède de luxueux appartements dans plusieurs villes italiennes et "serait le tuteur de
nombreux sportifs – patineurs, joueurs de tennis et footballeurs – originaires des pays de l'exURSS auxquels il aurait garanti, avec la complicité de juges, des victoires et des classements
qui auraient augmenté les revenus des parraineurs", a indiqué la Garde des finances sans
donner de noms.
L'extradition de Tokhtakhounov réclamée par la justice américaine pourrait de ce fait être
retardée par la justice italienne dans l'attente que s'achève l'enquête, a-t-on laissé entendre de
source policière.
Le Comité international olympique (CIO) est "choqué" d'apprendre que le crime organisé
pourrait avoir été impliqué dans les trucages des compétitions de patinage artistique aux Jeux
olympiques d'hiver 2002 de Salt Lake City, a indiqué jeudi son président, Jacques Rogge.
"Le CIO est atterré par les révélations, qui nous surprennent totalement (...) Nous sommes
choqués d'apprendre l'implication présumée du crime organisé, alors que nous savions, à la
suite de précédentes investigations, que le jugement relatif à la compétition de couple n'était
pas correct", a-t-il ajouté, dans une première réaction à la presse.
"Le CIO va chercher à obtenir tous les faits dans cette affaire, et se mettra en rapport avec
l'Union internationale de patinage [ISU] pour faire avancer les choses aussi vite que possible,
de façon à ce que le comité exécutif du CIO puisse alors examiner le cas, avec toute
l'information disponible", a-t-il dit.
47
Tokhtakhounov est soupçonné d'avoir organisé une collusion entre les Fédérations russe et
française, afin de favoriser la victoire des patineurs russes Elena Berezhnaya-Anton
Sikharulidze en couple, et des Français Marina Anissina-Gwendal Peizerat en danse.
Deux responsables français – le président de la Fédération, Didier Gailhaguet, et la juge MarieReine Le Gougne – ont déjà été suspendus pour trois ans en avril par la Fédération
internationale de patinage (ISU) pour avoir favorisé le couple de patineurs russes à Salt Lake
City.
La juge française avait été accusée de complaisance envers Elena Berezhnaya et Anton
Sikharulidze, sacrés au détriment des Canadiens Jamie Salé et David Pelletier, médaillés
d'argent. Après l'apparition du scandale, une seconde médaille d'or avait été attribuée au
couple canadien.
Après le titre des Russes en couple, les Français Marina Anissina et Gwendal Peizerat avaient
remporté l'épreuve olympique de danse devant les Russes Irina Lobacheva et Ilia Averbukh.
Avec AFP
Articles recommandés
Recommandez la lecture de cet article aux
internautes du monde.fr
Russian police not interested in alleged Olympic skating fixer.
147 words
1 August 2002
17:12
BBC Monitoring Newsfile
English
(c) 2002 The British Broadcasting Corporation [date of publication]. All Rights Reserved. No
material may be reproduced except with the express permission of The British Broadcasting
Corporation.
Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax
Moscow, 1 August: Ringleader Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, whose nickname is Tayvanchik, currently
does not have any conflicts with Russian law.
"He has not been living in Russia since 1990, and the law-enforcement is not tracking him in any
way. No criminal cases against him are being investigated in Russia," a highly placed source in the
Interior Ministry's Main Department for Organized Crime Prevention told Interfax on Thursday [1
August], referring to Tokhtakhunov's arrest in Italy.
48
Before 1990, Tokhtakhounov did serve several sentences and was considered to be a ringleader in
organized crime, the source said.
Nevertheless, Tokhtakhunov, who holds both Russian and Israeli citizenship, is currently formally
clean before the law, the source said.
Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1445 gmt 1 Aug 02.
Document bbcmnf0020020802dy810005u
rights reserved.
49
Patinaje.-El amaño en los Juegos de Salt Lake City, es sólo uno de los numerosos cargos contra
...
274 words
1 August 2002
17:12
Europa Press - Servicio de Deportes
Spanish
(c) 2002 Europa Press. www.europapress.es
Patinaje.-El amaño en los Juegos de Salt Lake City, es sólo uno de los numerosos cargos contra
Tokhtakhunov.
ROMA, 1 (EP/AFP)
El amaño en las competiciones de patinaje artístico en los Juegos Olímpicos de invierno de 2002
de Salt Lake City es uno más de los numerosos cargos de los que se acusa al ruso Alimzhan
Tokhtakhunov, detenido el ayer Italia, siguiendo una orden de arresto estadounidense.
Francesco Sacerio Pavone, el fiscal antimafia de Venecia encargado de la investigación, "tiene un
informe de 700 páginas" sobre Tokhtakhunov, encarcelado "en espera de su extradición a Estados
Unidos", indicó la Guardia de finanzas.
"Su arresto es fruto de las investigaciones sobre miembros del crimen organizado ruso que operan
en el territorio italiano y que pertenecen al grupo criminal denominado 'Brigada del sol', del que
Tokhtakhunov es uno de los elementos más importantes", indicó añadió la Guardia de Finanzas de
Venecia en un comunicado.
Tokhtakhunov es "un personaje de peso, con relaciones en el mundo político, económico y
financiero, y la investigación sobre sus actividades continúa", confirmó un responsable policial, que
prefirió guardar su anonimato.
Posee lujosos apartamentos en varias ciudades italianas y "parece ser el tutor de numerosos
deportistas - patinadores, tenistas y futbolistas-de países de la ex URSS a los que garantiza, con
la complicidad de los jueces, victorias y clasificaciones que hacen aumentar los ingresos de sus
padrinos.
La extradición de Tokhtakhunov, reclamada por la justicia estadounidense podría ser retrasada por
la italiana en espera de que se concluya la investigación, según fuentes policiales.
Document epsdd00020020801dy810020a
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50
Sie sind hier: WEB.DE > Sport > Meldung
Do, 01.08.02, aktualisiert: 17:43
Sport
Mafia-Boss soll Eiskunstlauf-Entscheidungen beeinflußt haben
[zurück]
Washington/Moskau (dpa) - Der olympische Sport sieht sich mit
einer neuen Dimension des Betrugs konfrontiert. Nach
Erkenntnissen des amerikanischen Bundeskriminalamtes FBI und
der Staatsanwaltschaft in New York hat der russische Mafia-Boss
Alimsan Tochtachunow bei den Olympischen Winterspielen in Salt
Lake City Einfluss auf die Eiskunstlauf-Entscheidungen im Paarlauf
und Eistanzen genommen.
Auf Intervention der Staatsanwaltschaft ist Tochtachunow in
Norditalien in Haft genommen worden. Er sitzt in Venedig ein.
Innerhalb von 45 Tagen muss Italien über einen
Auslieferungsantrag der USA entscheiden.
[zoom]
Der Präsident des Internationalen Olympischen Komitees (IOC),
Jacques Rogge, reagierte «schockiert» und «auf das Äußerste überrascht». Sein
Stellvertreter Thomas Bach sagte: «Wenn sich das bewahrheitet, wäre das schrecklich und
eine grausame Entwicklung für den Sport». Der Wirtschaftsanwalt aus Tauberbischofsheim
hatte im Februar entscheidenden Anteil an dem Votum des IOC-Exekutivkomitees, neben
dem umstrittenen russischen Siegerpaar Elena Bereschnaja/Anton Sicharulidse auch den
zweitplatzierten Kanadiern Jami Sale/David Pelletier die Goldmedaille zuzuerkennen. Der
Sieg der Russen hatte die Winterspiele als Skandal überschattet und besonders in
Nordamerika Empörung ausgelöst.
In einem Sportgerichtsverfahren hatte die Internationale Eislauf-Unon (ISU) die französische
Preisrichterin Marie-Reine Le Gougne und den französischen Verbandspräsidenten Didier
Gailhaguet als Übeltäter ausgemacht, sie zu einer Sperre von je drei Jahren verurteilt und
von den Winterspiele 2006 in Turin verbannt. Gailhaguet soll auf Le Gougne Druck ausgeübt
haben, um für die russischen Paarläufer zu stimmen.
Der dringende Verdacht des Olympiabetrugs gegen Tochtachumow war das Nebenprodukt
von Europol-Ermittlungen in einer Geldwäscher-Operation («Operation Ostgeld»). In die
Untersuchungen wurden FBI und die amerikanische Staatsanwaltschaft eingeschaltet. Sie
machte den Fall in New York auf einer Pressekonferenz bekannnt. Tochtachunow, ein 1949
im usbekischen Taschkent geborenen Russe, soll nach Moskauer Berichten einer der
einflussreichsten Figuren der russischen Mafia im Ausland sein und seiner Tätigkeit unter
dem Spitznamen «Taiwantschik» (der kleine Taiwanese) nachgehen. Zuletzt habe
Tochtachunow, der auch die israelische Staatsbürgerschaft besitzt, junge russische Models in
den Westen vermittelt.
Nach Aussage von US-Richter Jemes B. Comey hat Tochtachunow einen «klassischen Deal»
versucht: Die französische Punktrichterin sollte für Bereschnaja/Sicharulidse stimmen, dafür
51
sollte der russische Kollege im Eistanz die Stimme der Ex-Russin Marina Anissina und ihrem
französischen Partner Gwendal Peizerat geben. Tatsächlich siegte das französische Paar mit
5:4 Richterstimmen vor den Russen Irina Lobatschewa/Ilja Awerbuch. Richterin Le Gougne
hatte unmittelbar nach der Paarlauf-Entscheidung von einem «Erpressungsversuch»
gesprochen, diese Aussage jedoch zurückgenommen.
Die Staatsanwaltschaft bezieht sich bei ihrer Anklage auf eine Serie abgehörter Telefonate
von Tochtachunow aus Italien mit ungenannten Personen während der Winterspiele in Salt
Lake City. Nach der Eistanz-Entscheidung soll eine Läuferin Tochtachunow angerufen und
dabei behauptet haben, sie hätte auch ohne die russische Hilfe gewonnen. Der russische
Preisrichter «hat uns nicht auf den ersten Platz gesetzt». Bei dieser Läuferin handelt es sich
offensichtlich um Goldmedaillen-Gewinnerin Anissina.
In einer ersten Stellungnahme zeigte sich ISU-Präsident Ottavio Cinquanta (Italien) «äußerst
schockiert». Der Name Tochtachunow sei in der zweimonatigen Untersuchung seines
Verbandes nie aufgetaucht. Gegenwärtig gebe es noch zu wenig Informationen, um eine
neue Untersuchung zu starten. «Wir können nicht auf der Grundlage von noch unbewiesenen
Anschuldigungen arbeiten.» Der Russe sei auch nicht Mitglied der ISU-Familie. «Wir haben
unsere Arbeit getan. Jetzt ist eine andere Arbeit zu erledigen.» Anderer Ansicht ist Rogge,
der Cinquanta zu einer neuen Untersuchung drängen will.
Bach sagte, zur Aufklärung müsse alles getan werden. Doping sei die große Gefahr des
Sports «von innen. Der Versuch der Fremdbestimmung mit kriminellen Mitteln wäre eine
neue Dimension. Es kann nur heißen: Wehret den Anfängen.» Dabei gehe es um die
Zusammenarbeit mit staatlichen Stellen und Prävention. Der Fall solle auch bei dem Treffen
der IOC-Exekutive Ende August in Lausanne mit den internationalen Verbänden
angesprochen werden. Sie seien neben dem IOC die «wirklich Betroffenen». Die
Drittplatzierte im olympischen Eistanz, Barbara Fusi-Poli, forderte eine Wiederholung aller
vier Eiskunstlauf-Wettbewerbe. Sie galt mit ihrem italienischen Partner Maurizio Margaglio
als Mitfavoriten in Salt Lake City.
Das Nationale Olympische Komitee (NOK) Russlands hat sich von Tochtachunow distanziert.
Es habe mit dem seit langem in Frankreich lebenden Geschäftsmann nichts zu tun, teile
NOK-Sprecher Gennadi Schwez in Moskau mit. In der Nachwendezeit waren in Russland
immer wieder Hinweise aufgetaucht, die Mafia nehme Einfluss auf Spitzensportler und
Funktionäre. Dabei gab es auch Gerüchte, dass kriminelle Elemente Eiskunstläufer finanziell
unterstützen würden.
© dpa - Meldung vom 01.08.2002 16:09 Uhr
[zurück]
© WEB.DE 2002
52
Copyright (c) 2002 ITAR/TASS News. All rights reserved.
Italian neighbors call Russian criminal baron polite, reserved ITAR/TASS News Thursday, August
1, 2002 21:42 EDT JOURNAL CODE: IT LANGUAGE: ENGLISH RECORD TYPE: FULLTEXT
DOCUMENT TYPE: NEWSWIRE WORD COUNT: 260
TEXT:
ROME, Aug 01, 2002 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) -- Scanty evidences kept coming Friday on a
lifestyle of the infamous Russian criminal baron Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, known as Taiwanchik in
the Russian criminal community, whom the Italian police had arrested in Italy at an order issued by
the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Taiwanchik's neighbors at the town of Forte dei Marmi described him as an extremely polite, but
reserved man, who would usually leave his home only for shopping.
They said he would go back immediately when he bought food in the stores close to his small twostory villa in Barbiere St.
Taiwanchik would typically stay in Forte Dei Marmi for half a year - he would come in March and
leave in October. He did not have friends among the locals and rarely contacted anyone.
What made his life outstanding were the chains of limousines dashing to his villa. Those cars often
brought some Russian visitors, accompanied good-.looking young women.
Taiwanchik's arrest is far from the first action of this sort, organized by the Italian police. The
Russian mafia topic springs to public focus here occasionally. When the situation is good for that,
the police organize blitz operations to catch some Russian crime barons, most of whom hail from
other former Soviet republics but are referred to as Russians.
Observers say that, unlike many such people, Taiwanchik will most likely turn up behind bars over
time as U.S. secret services are involved in this case.
-0-kle
By Alexei Bukalov
-0Copyright (c) 2002 ITAR/TASS News. All rights reserved.
53
RUSSIAN LAW HAS NO CLAIMS AGAINST TAIVANCHIK- SOURCE IN INTERIOR MINISTRY.
127 words
1 August 2002
21:45
Daily News Bulletin
English
(c) 2002 by Interfax International, Ltd
MOSCOW. Aug 1 (Interfax) - Ringleader Alimdzhan Tokhtakhunov, whose nickname is Taivanchik,
currently does not have any conflicts with Russian law. "He has not been living in Russia since
1990, and law enforcement is not tracking him in any way. No criminal cases against him are being
investigated in Russia," a highly placed source in the Interior Ministry's Main Department for
Organized Crime Prevention told Interfax on Thursday, referring to Tokhtakhunov's arrest in Italy.
Before 1990, Tokhtakhunov did serve several sentences and was considered to be a ringleader in
organized crime, the source said.
Nevertheless, Tokhtakhunov, who holds both Russian and Israeli citizenship, is currently formally
clean before the law, the source said.
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54
TOKHTAKHUNOV HAD NO WAY OF INFLUENCING FIGURE SKATING COMPETITION DOLGOPOLOV.
315 words
1 August 2002
22:49
Daily News Bulletin
English
(c) 2002 by Interfax International, Ltd
MOSCOW. Aug 1 (Interfax) - Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, known in some circles as Taivanchik, has
never had any contact with Russian figure skaters and judges, according to Nikolai Dolgopolov, a
member of the presidium of the Figure Skating Federation and president of the Russian Federation
of Sports Journalists,. "I have been around figure skaters for the past few years, I go to
competitions with them and I am friends with the coaches. And I have never seen a person
nicknamed Taivanchik close to them," Dolgopolov told Intrefax on Thursday.
It was difficult to gain access to athletes and judges during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake
City, and therefore it is unlikely that Tokhtakhunov succeeded in arranging anything with the judges
directly, he said. "There is no crime around our athletes these days," Dolgopolov said.
The story about the exchange of gold medals between Russia and France, which Tokhtakhunov
allegedly arranged, is ungrounded, he said. "It is absurd to those who have even the slightest idea
of how the figure skating business works," Dolgopolov said.
Tokhtakhunov was arrested in Italy on U.S. charges on August 1. He is suspected of attempting to
influence some of the results of figure skating competition at Salt Lake City during the Olympics.
A New York law enforcement official said that Tokhtakhunov is suspected of arranging or
attempting to arrange an exchange of gold medals between Russia and France in the figure
skating competition at Salt Lake City. The Russian skaters Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze won the
pairs competition and the French pair Anissina and Peizerat won the ice dancing competition. The
victories were followed by a protest from the Canadian skaters, who were initially awarded silver,
and by a scandal involving a French judge, who said the next day she had been pressured to vote
for the Russians.
av mg.
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55
RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 6, No. 143, Part I, 1 August 2002
A daily report of developments in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, and
Central Asia.
REPUTED RUSSIAN MOBSTER ARRESTED IN OLYMPIC FIGURE-SKATING SCANDAL... U.S.
federal prosecutors announced on 31 July the arrest in Italy earlier that day of reputed Moscow
crime boss Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov for allegedly fixing the ice-dance and pairs figure-skating
competitions at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games in February, Russian and Western news
agencies reported. According to investigators, Tokhtakhunov used his influence with the French
and Russian skating federations to pressure a French judge to vote for Russia's Yelena
Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze in the pairs event in exchange for a Russian vote for France's
Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat in the ice-dance competition. Both teams won gold medals
in their respective competitions, although the scandal that erupted over the pairs decision led the
International Olympic Committee to award a second gold medal in the event to Canada's Jamie
Sale and David Pelletier (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 February 2002 and "End Note," "RFE/RL
Newsline," 8 March 2002). MES
...IMPLICATING RUSSIAN, FRENCH SKATING ASSOCIATIONS. U.S. Attorney James Comey
described the scheme as a "classic quid pro quo: 'You'll line up support for the Russian pair; we'll
line up support for the French pair and everybody will go away with the gold, and perhaps there'll
be a little gold for me,''' AP reported on 31 July. Tokhtakhunov, a 49-year-old Russian citizen who
was born in Uzbekistan, reportedly sought to gain a visa to return to France, where he had been
living until he was forced to relocate to Italy, while the beleaguered French national ice-hockey
program would get $1 million, according to AP. Evidence listed in the complaint filed in the
Manhattan federal court on 31 July includes transcripts of wire-tapped conversations between
Tokhtakhunov and an unidentified Russian ice-skating official; between Tokhtakhunov and a
"female ice dancer," presumably Anissina; and between the ice dancer's mother and
Tokhtakhunov, who is also known by the nickname "the Taiwanese." The transcripts also implicate
French Ice Skating Federation President Didier Gailhaguet. "The Canadians were 10 times better
and, in spite of that, the French with their vote gave us first place," the unidentified Russian official
was quoted as telling Tokhtakhunov after the pairs event, AFP reported. MES
56
French judge a scapegoat claims lawyer.
afpr000020020801dy8100bkr 238 Words
01 August 2002 Agence France-Presse English (Copyright 2002)
WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (AFP) - The French judge at the centre of the Winter Olympics figure
skating scandal was a scapegoat in a deeper conspiracy beyond her control her lawyer claimed
Thursday after the arrest of a key figure in Russian organised crime in Italy.
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov was picked up after Italian police raided a Tuscan villa as part of a
combined operation between the FBI, Interpol and Europol.
Tokhtakhunov was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and influence a sporting event the Olympics - through bribery. He is accused of acting with the knowledge of the Russian and
French skating federations.
Judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne was found guilty of misconduct for bowing to pressure from a top
French official to award first place to Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze at the
Salt Lake City Games in February and banned for three years.
"I think she is a scapegoat," her Salt Lake City-based lawyer Max Miller told AFP.
"As I always said, the scandal is bigger than Mrs Le Gougne. She doesn't know anything about the
recent event. Because it never came up, never been raised, was never an issue at the hearing.
"I don't know anything about this Russian. I frequently said: 'if there is conspiracy, where are the
Russians.' As far as I'm concerned, this indicates that the system is probably corrupted."
sg/ea02
-----------------------------------------------------------------------(c) 2002 Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive, LLC. Trading as Factiva. All Rights Reserved.
57
Rogge "appalled" by Russian crime link to skate scandal [Corrected 08/01/02]
636 words
1 August 2002
Agence France-Presse
English
(Copyright 2002)
CORRECTION: ATTENTION - INCORPORATES FSkate-Rus, FSkate-Rus-Ita and
FSkate-Oly-Rogge
PARIS, Aug 1 (AFP) - International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said on
Thursday he was appalled to learn of alleged mafia links to the ice skating vote-rigging scandal at
the Salt Lake Games in February.
After hearing about the arrest of a suspected key figure in Russian organised crime in Italy on
Wednesday Rogge said: "The IOC is appalled by the revelations, which came as a total suprise to
us."
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov was picked up after Italian police raided a Tuscan villa as part of a
combined operation between the FBI, Interpol and Europol.
The Uzbek-born Paris-based Tokhtakhunov was taken to Venice where he was charged with
conspiracy to commit wire fraud and influence a sporting event - the Olympics - through bribery.
He is accused of acting with the knowledge of the Russian and French skating federations.
Police sources speaking on condition of anonymity said antimafia prosecutor Francesco Sacerio
Pavone "has a 700-page dossier" on Tokhtakhunov," who, they said, has links to politicians and
owns luxury homes in several Italian cities. The Salt Lake City Games were rocked by the scandal
over the voting on the pairs event.
French ski judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne was banned for three years over allegations that she had
bowed to pressure to vote for Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, who were
awarded gold.
All the judges' marks were later cancelled and an additional gold medal was given to Canadian pair
Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.
Rogge commented: ""While we knew from previous investigations that the judgement in the pairs
figure skating was not correct, we are shocked to learn of the alleged involvement of organised
crime.
"The IOC will want to obtain the full facts and will be liaising with the ISU (International Skating
Union) to progress things as rapidly as possible so that the IOC Executive Board can then examine
the case with all the information available."
News of Tokhtakhunov's arrest caused consternation in both Italy and Russia.
Italian Barbara Fusar Poli, who won bronze in the pairs at Salt Lake, claimed it proved she and her
partner Maurizio Margaglio had been deprived of gold.
"They robbed us of our medal. We should have been first and we ended up third.
"Even with a fall - which happened because of all the tension around us, we should have come
second," said Fusar Poli, who with Margaglio won the 2001 world ice dance pairs championship.
They were favourites to add the Olympic title. "If all this is true then the Olympics have to be reheld," she added.
The Russian Olympic Committee tried to distance themselves from Tokhtakhunov.
ROC president Leonid Tyagachev claimed he had never met Tokhtakhunov, who has dual
Russian-Israeli citizenship.
58
"The accusations are completely stunning news for me as I never saw that person before,"
Tyagachev told local press.
"As far as I know Russia's figure skaters also had no relations with Tokhtakhunov. Our squad was
and is strong enough without any support of such persons or anybody else," he added.
Wednesday's swoop on the villa near the Tuscan town of Forte dei Marmi came after a crackdown
into an organised crime syndicate from Russia going by the name of "The Sun Brigade". A
statement issued by the Venice police' financial unit explained: "The arrest was the fruit of
investigations into Russian organised crime figures operating on Italian soil under the name "The
Sun Brigade" of which Tokhtakhunov was one of the most important elements."
It added that the authorities now had "decisive proof" connecting the accused to the offences he
has been charged with.
The inquiry is continuing.
vars/nr/cw02
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59
"We were robbed" of gold claim Italians after figure skating arrest [Corrected 08/01/02]
477 words 1 August 2002 Agence France-Presse English (Copyright 2002)
CORRECTION: ATTENTION - ADDS police quotes ROME, Aug 1 (AFP) - Italian ice dance
Olympic bronze medallist Barbara Fusar Poli did not mince her words Thursday on hearing an
alleged Russian crime boss had been accused of fixing Salt Lake Winter Games results, saying the
Italians were cheated.
"They robbed us of our medal. We should have been first and we ended up third," said Fusar Poli,
third with Maurizio Margaglio in last February's Games.
She spoke out angrily after US prosecutors announced Wednesday that Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, a
Russian citizen alleged to be a major player in organised crime, had been arrested in Italy and
charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and influence a sporting event through bribery.
Tokhtakhunov is accused of acting with the knowledge of the Russian and French skating
federations.
His arrest came after a crackdown into an organised crime syndicate from Russia going by the
name of "The Sun Brigade".
A statement issued by the Venice police' financial unit explained: "The arrest was the fruit of
The statement said the inquiry was a joint operation between Interpol, Europol and the FBI.
It added that the authorities now had "decisive proof on the offences for which the accused has
been arrested". Police sources speaking on condition of anonymity said antimafia prosecutor
Francesco Sacerio Pavone "has a 700-page dossier" on Tokhtakhunov," who was "awaiting his
extradition to the United States."
Tokhtakhunov, the sources went on, "has links with the world of politics, economics and high
finance."
They added he owned luxury homes in several Italian cities and acted as "tutor" to several skaters,
footballers and tennis players from the former Soviet Union, reputedly promising them he could fix
matches.
As news of the arrest broke Fusar Poli gave her reaction.
They were favourites to add the Olympic title.
"If all this is true then the Olympics have to be re-held," she added.
"It will be good if the conclusions of the US investigation are confirmed and land on the table of the
International Olympic Committee."
Italian police suspect Tokhtakhunov of being a major player in the Russian mafia and to be
implicated in attempts to rig sporting results in Italy.
Having been picked up after a police swoop on a villa near Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany at the
request of the FBI the Russian was transferred to Venice where he was put into custody.
ljm/csg/cw/nr02
Document afpr000020020801dy81009a2
rights reserved.
60
Rogge shocked by alleged mafia link to skate scandal
204 words
1 August 2002
English
(Copyright 2002)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Aug 1 (AFP) - International Olympic Committee president Jacques
Rogge said Thursday he was shocked to learn of reported mafia links to alleged bribery in Olympic
ice skating at last February's Winter Games. "The IOC is appalled by the revelations, which came
as a total suprise to us," said the Belgian Olympic chief after learning of the arrest and charging in
Italy of Uzbek-born Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov over the fixing of results in the figure skating events at
Salt Lake.
Tokkhtakhunov is alleged to be a key member of a Russian organised crime gang operating on
Italian soil.
Rogge added: "While we knew from previous investigations that the judgement in the pairs figure
skating was not correct, we are shocked to learn of the alleged involvement of organised crime.
"The IOC will want to obtain the full facts and will be liaising with the ISU (the body running
international skating) to progress things as rapidly as possible so that the IOC Executive Board can
then examine the case with all the information available."
Tokhtahunov has been accused of acting with the knowledge of the Russian and French skating
federations.
]cam/jlv/cw/nr02
Document afpr000020020801dy81008ym
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61
Russians stunned by new figure skating row [Corrected 08/01/02]
531 words
1 August 2002
English
(Copyright 2002)
CORRECTION: ATTENTION - UPDATES with ministry report
MOSCOW, Aug 1 (AFP) - Russia's Olympic Committee (ROC) and the national figure skating
federation are stunned by the re-opening of the row over alleged Olympic bribery in the sport and
deny any connections with a former Soviet citizen, arrested in Italy, media here reported Thursday.
ROC spokesman Gennady Shvets said the committee has never had any relationship with
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, nicknamed Taivanchik, who after his arrest in Italy stands accused of an
attempt of fixing the results of Olympic figure skating events at last February's Winter Games in
Salt Lake City.
ROC president Leonid Tyagachev added he has never met the Uzbekistan-born Tokhtakhunov,
who lives in Paris on an Israeli passport.
Tyagachev told the press.
Russia's sports and physical culture state committee chairman Vyacheslav Fetisov also denied any
contact between Russia's top sports officials with former Soviet citizen Toktakhunov.
Fetisov also said he considered all the speculation about Olympics referees conspiracy to be
complete nonsense. "I'm not set to comment any rumours. I consider these accusations to be
fiction but I also think we all shall wait for the court's official sentence on the case before we issue
any comments," Fetisov said.
Russia's figure skating federation officials also denied any contact with Tokhtakhunov.
They made no further comment on the case in the absence of federation president Valentin
Piseyev, set to return to Moscow on Tuesday.
The country's interior ministry said no investigations had been held into Tokhtakhunov since 1990
when he left Russia.
According to the interior ministry report Tokhtakhunov, who served several prison sentences before
the fall of the Soviet Union, currently has double Russian-Israeli citizenship and lives outside
Russia.
One of Russia's most successful figure skating coaches, Yelena Tchaikovskaya, said the winners
of the 2002 Olympic pairs title - Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze - as well as French
dancing pair Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat were just stronger than their opponents and
never needed any "criminal" support.
"The Russian and French pairs were the best in their disciplines at the Olympics and all the
tournaments before the Games. I consider the speculations of any biased judging or conspiracy to
be complete rubbish," Tchaikovskaya said.
Ilya Averbukh, who won an ice dance silver medal at Salt Lake, said he was interested to hear the
latest on the issue.
"I'm interested with the new details of the scandal," he said.
62
"The intervention of the FBI in the case makes it even more interesting." US prosecutors said
Wednesday that Tokhtakhunov, whom they called a Russian citizen, had been arrested in Italy and
federations.
af/cw/nr02
Document afpr000020020801dy81008yj
rights reserved.
63
393 words
1 August 2002
English
(Copyright 2002)
ROME, Aug 1 (AFP) - Italian ice dance Olympic bronze medallist Barbara Fusar Poli did not mince
her words Thursday on hearing an alleged Russian crime boss had been accused of fixing Salt
Lake Winter Games results, saying the Italians were cheated.
third with Maurizio Margaglio in last February's Games. She spoke out angrily after US prosecutors
announced Wednesday that Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, a Russian citizen alleged to be a major
player in organised crime, had been arrested in Italy and charged with conspiracy to commit wire
fraud and influence a sporting event through bribery.
federations.
His arrest came after a crackdown into an organised crime syndicate from Russia going by the
name of "The Sun Brigade".
A statement issued by the Venice police' financial unit explained: "The arrest was the fruit of
The statement said the inquiry was a joint operation between Interpol, Europol and the FBI.
It added that the authorities now had "decisive proof on the offences for which the accused has
been arrested".
The inquiry is continuing.
As news of the arrest broke Fusar Poli gave her reaction.
"If all this is true then the Olympics have to be re-held," she added.
International Olympic Committee."
Having been picked up after a police swoop on a villa near Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany at the
request of the FBI the Russian was transferred to Venice where he was put into custody.
ljm/csg/cw/nr02
Document afpr000020020801dy81007vg
rights reserved.
64
421 words
1 August 2002
English
(Copyright 2002)
MOSCOW, Aug 1 (AFP) - Russia's Olympic Committee (ROC) and the national figure skating
federation are stunned by the re-opening of the row over alleged Olympic bribery in the sport and
deny any connections with a former Soviet citizen, arrested in Italy, media here reported Thursday.
ROC spokesman Gennady Shvets said the committee has never had any relationship with
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, nicknamed Taivanchik, who after his arrest in Italy stands accused of an
attempt of fixing the results of Olympic figure skating events at last February's Winter Games in
Salt Lake City.
ROC president Leonid Tyagachev added he has never met the Uzbekistan-born Tokhtakhunov.
Tyagachev told the press.
Russia's figure skating federation officials also denied any contact with Tokhtakhunov.
They made no further comments on the case in the absence of federation president Valentin
Piseyev, set to return to Moscow on Tuesday.
One of the Russia's most successful figure skating coaches Yelena Tchaikovskaya said the
winners of the 2002 Olympics in pair skating Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze as well as
the French dancing pair Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat were just stronger than their
opponents and never needed any "criminal" support.
"Russian and French pairs were the best in their disciplines at the Olympics and all the
tournaments before the Games. I consider the speculations of any biased judging or conspiracy to
be completely rubbish," Tchaikovskaya said.
Ilya Averbukh, who won an ice dance silver medal at Salt Lake, said he was interested to hear the
latest on the issue.
"I'm interested with the new details of the scandal," he said.
"The intervention of the FBI in the case makes it even more interesting. But in any case neither my
partner Irina (Lobacheva) nor I will cry and beg for the gold medal like Sale and Pelletier," he
added.
The United States prosecutors announced Wednesday that Tokhtahunov, whom they called a
Russian citizen, alleged to be a major player in organised crime, had been arrested in Italy and
Tokhtahunov is accused of acting with the knowledge of the Russian and French skating
federations.
af/cw02
Document afpr000020020801dy81006n1
rights reserved.
65
Italians insist "robbed" of skating medal
264 words
1 August 2002
English
(Copyright 2002)
ROME, Aug 1 (AFP) - Italian ice dance Olympic bronze medallist Barbara Fusar Poli did not mince
her words Thursday on hearing an alleged Russian crime boss had been accused of fixing Salt
Lake Winter Games results, saying the Italians were cheated.
third with Maurizio Margaglio in last February's Games.
She spoke out angrily after US prosecutors announced Wednesday that Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, a
Russian citizen alleged to be a major player in organised crime, had been arrested in Italy and
federations.
"If all this is true then the Olympics have to be re-held," said Fusar Poli.
International Olympic Committee," she added.
Having been arrested in Forte dei Marmi in Toscana the Russian was transferred to Venice where
he is now in custody.
ljm/csg/cw02
Document afpr000020020801dy8100611
rights reserved.
66
Terremoto sui Giochi.
Di r.v.
671 words
1 August 2002
La Gazzetta dello Sport
23
Italian
(c)Gazzetta dello Sport. http://www.gazzetta.it
Terremoto sui Giochi. Ricordate la polemica che s'accompagnò alle gare di pattinaggio su ghiaccio
all'Olimpiade di Salt Lake City? Con la doppia medaglia d'oro assegnata ai canadesi Sale-Pellettier
e ai russi Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze, con la presunta corruzione dei giurati e la fuga della giudice
francese Le Gougne? Tutto torna alla luce grazie a un'operazione congiunta compiuta dagli uomini
del Gico del Nucleo regionale di polizia tributaria della Guardia di finanza di Venezia e dall'Fbi. Una
serie di intercettazioni disposte dall'autorità italiana ha condotto all'arresto, a Forte dei Marmi
(Lucca), del 53enne cittadino russo (nato in Uzbekistan), Alimzan Tokhtakhounov, il quale sarebbe
coinvolto in una serie di reati ben più gravi che vanno dalla ricettazione, al traffico d'armi, al
commercio di sostanze stupefacenti.
Tokhtakhounov si sarebbe vantato di aver falsato il risultato dell'artistico e di aver fatto arrivare alla
medaglia d'oro, nella danza, la coppia francese Anissina-Peizerat. In una telefonata, Alik è stato
sorpreso a parlare del complotto direttamente con la neomedaglia d'oro francese Marina Anissina.
La Procura federale di Manhattan e l'Fbi hanno riunito le intercettazioni in un atto di incriminazione
di 8 pagine nelle quali c'è la storia finora segreta di cosa accadde dietro le quinte delle
contestatissime gare di pattinaggio. Tra il 5 e il 12 febbraio, mentre si trovava in Italia, Alik (il
soprannome) telefonava alla delegazione russa ai Giochi per pilotare l'esito delle gare. Quello che
il russo non sapeva è che la Guardia di finanza teneva sotto controllo i suoi telefoni. A Sal Lake, la
prova di coppia fu vinta dai russi Berezhnaya e Sikharulidze, prima che un'inedita decisione del Cio
assegnasse un altro oro ai canadesi Sale e Pelletier, dopo che era emerso che la giudice francese
Marie-Reine Le Gougne aveva ricevuto pressioni per far vincere i russi. Il 5 febbraio Alik si era
messo alla ricerca del numero di un alto esponente della Federazione di pattinaggio russa e il 12,
dopo la vittoria dei connazionali, le Fiamme gialle lo hanno registrato mentre parlava con
quest'ultimo, al quale aveva telefonato dall'Italia. «I nostri francesi mi hanno stupito in senso
positivo» disse il dirigente russo ad Alik. «Ti chiamo perché tu possa chiamare i genitori per dire
loro che tutto andrà bene, perché i francesi, con il loro voto, li hanno fatti campioni». Nella
telefonata ci sono vari riferimenti alla pattinatrice francese (di origini russe) Anissina, pronta a
scendere in pista nei giorni successivi con il partner Gwendal Peizerat.
La madre della Anissina sarebbe stata in contatto con Alik - che a sua volta conosceva il
presidente della Federazione francese - e i francesi avrebbero promesso al russo di aiutarlo a
risolvere alcuni problemi con un visto in Francia in cambio del suo intervento sui giudici. Nelle altre
telefonate intercettate, Alik dettagliava con il dirigente russo i passaggi necessari per far vincere
l'oro ai francesi.
«I francesi - si sente in un'intercettazione - hanno solo tre giudici, con il loro voto, e hanno
certamente bisogno di altri due... uno è il nostro e l'altro i nostri amici glielo daranno (...). Se stiamo
dalla loro parte, gli italiani (Fusar Poli-Margaglio, ndr) saranno lasciati con tre voti, così i francesi
possono solo vincere per 5 a 4». Al 3°, dopo un'infinita serie di polemiche, finì la coppia azzurra
composta da Barbara Fusar Poli e Maurizio Margaglio. A tanti mesi di distanza l'amarezza per quel
67
bronzo - dice Barbara - non è placata: «Se tutto quello che mi dicono fosse vero, bisognerebbe
rifare l'Olimpiade». Risultato sportivo a parte, oggi nella conferenza stampa prevista dalla Finanza
a Venezia si chiariranno i termini della vicenda. Alle indagini ha partecipato anche la polizia
romana, con una copiosa informativa sulla «Brigada Izmailovskaya», una delle maggiori
organizzazione criminali di Mosca, guidata (pare) proprio da Tokhtakhunov il quale avrebbe avuto
contatti con persone del mondo della criminalità, dello spettacolo, della politica, del giornalismo e,
appunto, dello sport. r.v.
Document gds0000020020801dy810005q
rights reserved.
68
VI. 02/08/2002
ARCHIVES / VENDREDI 2 AOÛT 2002
PATINAGE
Le scandale du patinage s'étend
Le parrain de la mafia russe arrêté mercredi serait le tuteur de nombreux sportifs patineurs, tennismen- originaires des pays de l'ex-URSS. Le Gougne se dit
"abasourdie", Anissina "calomniée".
limzan Tokhtakhounov, arrêté mercredi en Italie sur
mandat américain et soupçonné d'avoir participé à
un trucage présumé des épreuves de couple et de danse
des derniers JO d'hiver, serait "le tuteur de nombreux
sportifs -patineurs, joueurs de tennis et footballeursoriginaires des pays de l'ex-URSS auxquels il aurait
garanti, avec la complicité de juges, des victoires et des
classements qui auraient augmenté les revenus des
parraineurs", selon la Garde des finances italiennes.
Surnommé "le Taïwanais" et âgé de 53 ans, Alimzan
Tokhtakhounov, qui possède de luxueux appartements
dans plusieurs villes italiennes, serait un "membre
important" des mafias russes, selon plusieurs polices
d'Europe.
Interrogé à ce sujet, le joueur de tennis russe Yevgueni
Kafelnikov a déclaré, jeudi à Toronto, que son
Alimzan Tokhtakhounov (photo
compatriote était un "bon ami", ajoutant: "Je ne suis pas
AP)
préoccupé par la situation, je suis sûr qu'il s'agit d'une
erreur." Le présumé mafieux aurait été arrêté au volant
d'une voiture prêtée par un autre joueur de tennis russe, Andrei Medvedev, ancien
finaliste de Roland-Garros (1999). "Je ne sais pas pourquoi il conduisait la voiture
d'Andrei, a déclaré Kafelnikov, insistant sur le fait que Tokhtakhounov "ne parraine
aucun athlète russe".
Le joueur Marat Safin, également russe, n'a pas voulu s'étendre sur le sujet: "Ce n'est
pas notre problème, pas un sujet agréable à évoquer", s'est contenté de répondre
Safin, ajoutant toutefois qu'il connaissait Tokhtakhounov.
Enfin, Anna Kournikova, engagée au tournoi de San Diego, a semblée, quant à elle,
réticente, voire un peu effrayée, à l'idée de parler de son compatriote: "J'ai entendu
69
parler de cette personne, a déclaré la jeune joueuse, répétant à plusieurs reprises
qu'elle n'avait pas envie d'évoquer ce sujet, avant de conclure: "Je ne pense pas que je
devrais en parler, je suis désolée. Je suis Russe et il me faudra retourner là-bas (en
Russie)". Quant à savoir si Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov pouvait être qualifié de mafieux, la
joueuse a répondu: "on peut dire cela".
Nombreuses charges
Le trucage des compétitions de patinage artistique lors des JO d'hiver 2002 à Salt Lake
City serait seulement l'une des nombreuses charges contre l'accusé, selon des sources
policières. Au lendemain de son arrestation, Alimzan Tokhtakhounov n'a rien confessé,
mais l'analyse de ses coups de téléphone laisse entendre que ses tentatives de
corruption ne se sont pas limitées à deux juges. Surnommé «le Taïwanais» et âgé de
53 ans, le suspect, qui aurait également truqué des concours de beauté dans les
années 90, a été placé en détention sur la base d'accusations américaines.
La police italienne a affirmé que Tokhtakhounov, accusé également de trafic d'armes,
de drogue et de voitures volées, avait eu une conversation téléphonique avec un
Français, appelé "Chevalier" sur les enregistrements. Les policiers estiment que ce
dénommé Chevalier faisait partie de la délégation française présente à Salt Lake et
qu'il a été en contact avec les juges olympiques français.
Interrogé par l'Associated Press, l'ancien président de la Fédération française de ski
(FFS) Bernard Chevallier, présent à Salt Lake à ce titre, a expliqué qu'il n'avait
strictement rien à voir avec cette affaire.
Au cours de ses conversations téléphoniques, Tokhtakhounov a également fait
référence à des juges, mais leur identité n'apparaît pas sur les bandes. "Nous avons
enregistré une conversation au cours de laquelle le suspect indique que six juges
pourraient avoir été impliqués", a déclaré le colonel Giovanni Mainolfi. "Cependant,
nous n'avons pas de preuve contre ces juges à l'heure actuelle."
Visa
Tokhtakhounov, considéré comme l'un des hommes les plus influents d'une
organisation moscovite de plus de 3.000 membres, est accusé d'avoir tenté de
persuader une juge française de voter pour la paire russe engagée dans l'épreuve des
couples, et un juge russe de voter en faveur des Français Marina Anissina et Gwendal
Peizerat en lice en danse sur glace. Les deux équipes ont été médaillées d'or.
Selon la justice américaine, Tokhtakhounov espérait en échange de ses services
obtenir un visa pour retourner en France, où il a déjà vécu.
Le procureur anti-mafia de Venise Francesco Sacerio Pavone, en charge de l'enquête,
dit avoir "un dossier de 700 pages" sur Tokhtakhounov, incarcéré dans la cité en
attendant son extradition vers les États-Unis. La procédure pourrait durer plus d'un
mois, retardée par la justice italienne dans l'attente que s'achève l'enquête. L'opération
"East money" (Argent de l'Est), qui a conduit à son arrestation se poursuit, a en effet
affirmé jeudi la police italienne.
L'homme était suivi dans le cadre d'investigations sur le blanchiment d'argent sale et
les écoutes enregistrées sur le truquage des résultats de Salt Lake City ne sont qu'un
"sous-produit" de l'enquête principale, a souligné la Garde des finances.
Tokhtakhounov devrait plaider innocent, a déclaré son avocat Luca Salvarelli.
Accompagné d'un interprète russe, il rencontré son client pour la première fois
vendredi, à la prison Santa Maria Maggiore de Venise.
"Il est très surpris", a déclaré Saldarelli, après avoir rencontré son client. "Il ne connaît
rien des Jeux de Salt Lake City. Il n'est même pas un «fan» du patinage artistique".
Saldarelli a qualifié de "très positive" son entrevue avec le Russe. "Il pense
véritablement n'avoir rien fait de mal. Son métier consiste à être un intermédiaire dans
des affaires internationales. Voilà ce que je peux dire. Il vit à Rome et à Forte dei
Marmi."
70
Interrogé sur ce que son client peut dire en général de cette affaire, Saldarelli a
répondu: "il dit qu'il s'agit d'une farce".
De son côté, le comité olympique russe a estimé que les charges retenues contre
Tokhtakhounov étaient infondées, tandis que le président du Comité international
olympique (CIO) Jacques Rogge s'est déclaré "consterné" par l'implication présumée
du crime organisé.
Réactions
Marina Anissina a démenti vendredi les accusations de possibles collusions avec la
mafia russe. "Je dénonce catégoriquement les propos calomnieux, injurieux,
déshonorants et injustes qui ont été proférés à mon égard à l'occasion de l'arrestation
de M.Tokhtakhounov. Gwendal et moi-même n'avons eu besoin de personne pour
gagner notre médaille d'or à Salt Lake City", a déclaré Marina Anissina, lors d'un
communiqué envoyé par l'intermédiaire de la Fédération française des sports de glace.
La patineuse d'origine russe indique se réserver le droit d'"intenter toute action visant
d'une part à mettre un terme aux propos diffamatoires, et d'autre part, à demander
toute réparation en justice en France comme à l'étranger".
Répondant à une interview aux Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, la juge française
sanctionnée durant les Jeux Olympiques de Salt Lake City, Marie-Reine Le Gougne,
s'est déclarée "complètement abasourdie" à propos de cette affaire, a affirmé découvrir
"cette rocambolesque histoire" et ne pas connaître Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov.
Mardi 3 septembre 2002 - 16h19
71
E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS | ARCHIVES
Russian Officials Reject Link to Scandal
'Someone Is Slinging Mud at Us'
By Amy Shipley
Washington Post Staff
Writer
Friday, August 2, 2002;
Page D01
Russian figure skating
officials yesterday
scoffed at a federal
Italian police comment on the arrest of Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov,
who was charged by the U.S. government with conspiring to fix
criminal complaint
the outcome of figure skating competition. (Fernando Proietti AP)
that linked their
federation with an
alleged Russian
mobster's attempt to
fix two Olympic competitions, calling the charges
mudslinging and fantasy.
Valentin Piseev, the president of the Russian Figure Skating
Federation, said he did not know Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov,
a purported Russian crime boss who was arrested in Italy
on Wednesday and charged by the U.S. government with
conspiring to fix the outcomes of the pairs and ice dance
competitions at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
The complaint -- filed in U.S. federal court in the Southern
District of New York -- details wire-tapped conversations in
which Tokhtakhounov allegedly discussed rigging the
Olympics with Russian and French skating officials, as well
as Russian-born French ice dancer Marina Anissina and her
mother.
"I don't know him," Piseev said from Las Vegas, where he
was vacationing with his wife. "I have maybe sometime in
the past heard his name, but not in connection with figure
skating. I am sure that no official of our federation has ever
met him. It seems to me that someone is slinging mud at
72
us, and I reject it."
In an interview with Russian television station OTR, Russian
Olympic committee spokesman Gennadi Shvets suggested
that Tokhtakhounov was merely boasting to impress
Anissina's mother when he said, according to the complaint,
"We are going to make [Anissina] an Olympic champion . . .
even if she falls." Shvets told the Associated Press it was
"absolutely certain" Tokhtakhounov could not have
influenced the Olympic figure skating results.
"These people, they do have a bit of mania of grandeur,"
Shvets said on Russian television. "With them, 'the soccer is
mine,' 'the hockey is mine' and 'the Eiffel Tower is mine,
too.' "
Meantime, as International Skating Union and International
Olympic Committee officials expressed shock and dismay at
the allegations but stopped short of calling for an
investigation of the Russian skating federation or a
recalculation of the results, judges, skaters and officials
around the world bemoaned the state of their sport.
"It's like the stock market," said U.S. referee Ron Pfenning,
who oversaw the Olympic pairs competition and heard the
French judge in the event admit to being pressured to cast
her vote. "You think you've reached bottom and you hope
you can regain your credibility and move up. But each day
something takes us farther down into the hole."
Said Sharon Rogers, a U.S. judge in ice dancing: "When all
this is sorted out, it's going to be far more sordid and farreaching than people think."
Barbara Fusar-Poli, who along with her partner Maurizio
Margaglia won the bronze in the ice-dancing competition
that was allegedly rigged, told the AP that she was bitter
but happy to have "won a clean bronze, not a dirty gold or
silver."
"The Olympics . . . weren't clean; they were dirty," she
said. "I tried to play fair, but the others didn't."
In the Feb. 11 Olympic pairs event, Elena Berezhnaya and
73
Anton Sikharulidze won the gold, but the IOC awarded a
second gold medal to runners-up Jamie Sale and David
Pelletier of Canada after French judge Marie Reine Le
Gougne admitted to being pressured when she cast her
vote. In the dance event a week later, Anissina and her
partner Gwendal Peizerat won the gold over Russians Irina
Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh.
"I'm not surprised that the Russians were involved," said
former French judge Francis Betsch, who had accused
French federation president Didier Gailhaguet of attempting
to manipulate his vote at various events. "What I've always
thought about the Russian judges is that they're not really
free to judge as they want. . . . About two years ago I had
a discussion with a young Russian judge. . . . She told me if
she wanted to judge again, she was more or less obliged"
to vote a certain way.
In other developments, athletes with ties to Tokhtakhounov
tried to distance themselves from him. A photo of
Tokhtakhounov with tennis players Yevgeny Kafelnikov of
Russia and Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine could be found on
Medvedev's Web site Wednesday evening, just hours after
Tokhtakhounov's arrest was announced, but the photo was
pulled sometime overnight. Yesterday, Italian police
spokesman Claudio Di Gregorio said authorities had
confiscated a document signed by Medvedev that indicated
he had given Tokhtakhounov his car, a Mercedes 5000, out
of gratitude for his help with his career.
Kafelnikov, in Toronto yesterday for Tennis Masters Canada,
was asked after his 6-2, 6-2 loss to Guillermo Cañas about
his relationship with Tokhtakhounov.
"He is a good friend of mine," Kafelnikov said, "but I'd
rather talk about tennis right now than about the things
that you want to discuss. . . . I'm sure it's some kind of
mistake and I have no further comment regarding that."
Asked if it was true Tokhtakhounov was driving a car given
to him by Medvedev at the time of his arrest, Kafelnikov
seemed surprised, asking the reporter to repeat the
question. He then suggested asking Medvedev and the
news conference ended soon after.
74
Anissina for the second day declined comment on her
relationship with Tokhtakhounov through her attorney, but
Peizerat said in a statement that "Marina and I skated our
hearts out at the Olympic Games and believe we were justly
awarded with the gold medal. In the eyes of anyone who
observed our event, whether spectators or judges, we
clearly deserved to be Olympic champions. We were
shocked by the latest news alleging the possibility of a fix.
If it turns out that someone attempted to influence the
results of our competition, that is both disturbing and sad."
Italian police said that Tokhtakhounov is a resident of Milan
but does not have Italian citizenship. Born in Uzbekistan,
Tokhtakhounov has managed to become a citizen of several
other countries, including Israel and France, according to Di
Gregorio.
Italian police said as many as six figure skating judges may
have been involved in the alleged Olympic fix, and that
Tokhtakhounov has at least 50 accomplices that work for
him, some of whom may have helped him also fix deals
with Italian soccer teams. The complaint also alleges that
Tokhtakhounov fixed Russian beauty pageants.
Tokhtakhounov is being held in Venice's prison, Santa Maria
Maggiore, where he is fighting extradition to the United
States, according to his attorney.
ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta said in a statement that
the ISU had no previous knowledge of Tokhtakhounov or
his activities and would ask investigating authorities for
access to evidence related to misconduct by skating
officials.
"It's way too soon to propose any specific course of action,"
said Phyllis Howard, a member of the ISU Council and
president of the U.S. Figure Skating Association.
The United States' three IOC members -- Anita DeFrantz,
Bob Ctvrtlik and Jim Easton -- met yesterday via conference
call with U.S. Olympic Committee President Marty
Mankamyer and USOC CEO Lloyd Ward and, according to
Ctvrtlik, "everyone's in agreement. This is obviously
intolerable. We pledge our assistance to the IOC. . . . This
75
really strikes at the heart of the Olympic movement."
Staff writer Alan Cooperman in Washington and special
correspondents Morgan Dennis in Toronto, Sheila H. Pierce
in Rome and Boris Alibiyev in Moscow contributed to this
report.
© 2002 The Washington Post Company
76
DIALOG©File 607:ITAR/TASS News
© 2002 ITAR/TASS News Via Comtex. All rts. Reserv.
Russian Oympic champions to sue US television networks ITAR/TASS News Friday, August 2,
2002 03:34 EDT JOURNAL CODE: IT LANGUAGE: ENGLISH RECORD TYPE: FULLTEXT
DOCUMENT TYPE: NEWSWIRE WORD COUNT: 269
TEXT:
MOSCOW, Aug 02, 2002 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) – Russian figure skaters Yelena Berezhnaya
and Anton Sikharulidze, the gold winners at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, plan to file a law suit
against U.S. television networks.
The athletes have told Tass on the telephone their photographs have been appearing on the
screen against a background of headlines about an alleged presence of Russian crime in the
Olympic movement. The figure skaters described this as a political provocation and an attempt to
discredit their image and reputation.
Sikharulidze said the row would certainly benefit television networks, because it fomented interest
towards figure skating and would boost incomes accordingly.
“However, one should remember that we, athletes suffer tremendous moral damages. As for
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, we have never seen this men or chanced to meet him,” Sikharulidze said.
The pair’s coach, Tamara Moskvina, currently in St. Petersburg, has confirmed she does not know
this man. She expressed indignation over the row around her trainees.
“The scandal has gone beyond all conceivable bounds. Anton and Yelena earned their Olympic
gold in the sweat of their brow,” Moskvina said.
Silver medalist in ice dancing, Ilya Averbukh, has said the row looked weird to him. He described
the gold winners Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat as excellent masters who deservedly
received the top awards.
“I do not see any reason why they should be seeking support from people having shady
backgrounds. We have noticed nothing that would point to their connections with what is now
described as ‘Russian mafia’,” Averbukh said.
-0-str/ast
By Natalya Moskovskaya
© 1996-2002 ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved.
77
ISU shocked by scandal around Olympic awards
ITAR/TASS News
NEWSWIRE WORD COUNT: 143
TEXT:
PARIS, Aug 02, 2002 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) – The International Skating Union
(ISU) like the International Olympic Committee, has declared that it has been deeply shocked by a
scandal around awarding Olympic medals at the Salt Lake city Olympics linked to the arrest of
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov suspected of putting pressure on the judges.
ISU absolutely does not know this man and is unaware of his activities, says a statement signed by
ISU Chairman Ottavio Chinquanta and his secretary general Freddy Schmidt.
It was pointed out in the statement that ISU has been closely following what accusations have been
made by the US justice and is prepared to cooperate on this case with all interested justice bodies.
The ISU will maintain close contacts and cooperate with the International Olympic Committee, the
statement said.
-0-ere
-0Copyright © 2002 ITAR/TASS News. All rights reserved.
78
ITAR/TASS News
TEXT:
MOSCOW, Aug 02, 2002 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) – ST.PETERSBURG, August 2
(Itar-Tass) – Russian Olympic gold pair Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikhuralidze intend to sue
US television companies in connection with a continuing scandal about the Salt Lake Olympic gold
medals in the figure skating pair event. “I believe that both Canadians and their supporters from
North America should have long set their minds at rest because the Canadian pair has been
“presented” the gold medals. Nevertheless, the slander campaign continues, our photographs have
been demonstrated on television along with stories about the Russian mafia..,” Sikhuralidze said.
PARIS – The International Skating Union (ISU) like the International Olympic Committee, has
declared that it has been deeply shocked by a scandal around awarding Olympic medals at the
Salt Lake city Olympics linked to the arrest of Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov suspected of putting
pressure on the judges
79
ITAR/TASS News
TEXT:
MOSCOW, Aug 02, 2002 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) – The Russian Olympic Committee will stand up
for the interests and tranquility of athletes and their possibility to continue training and enjoy their
Olympic gold, says a statement signed by Committee President Leonid Tyagachyov. Itar-Tass
obtained the statement on Friday.
“The Russian Olympic Committee and the entire sports public of the country are seriously
Tokhtakhunov in Italy,” the statement runs. “In particular, he is suspected of influencing the
distribution of medals at the figure skating contest of the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002. He
allegedly induced the judges to give the first place to Russia’s Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze.”
“The high skills of Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze cause no doubts. The Russian figure skaters won
in the fair contest thanks exclusively to their personal merits, talent and diligence, as well as the
professionalism of coaches and specialists of the Russian Olympic team,” the statement runs.
“The Russian Olympic Committee will not left unanswered the public and insistent mentioning of
the names of Russian outstanding athletes, Olympic champions Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze in
the light, which obviously damages their reputation and humiliates their dignity. We have protected
and will protect Russian athletes with all the means we possess from the unfair attacks, unfounded
accusations, provocative rumors and assumptions. This is both our obligation and duty,” the
statement runs.
-0-yer
80
Russian, French athletes do not need judge conspiracy – Smirnov ITAR/TASS News Friday,
August 2, 2002 15:02 EDT JOURNAL CODE: IT LANGUAGE: ENGLISH RECORD TYPE:
FULLTEXT DOCUMENT TYPE: NEWSWIRE WORD COUNT: 279
TEXT:
MOSCOW, Aug 02, 2002 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) – Russia’s Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze and France’s Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat, who rank top amongst figure
skaters, did not need a conspiracy of the judges to win the Olympic Games of 2002, Vice-President
of the International Olympic Committee Vitaly Smirnov has told Itar-Tass.
The gold medals were given to the Russian duo absolutely fairly, he said. For four years they had
the highest places in all the prestigious tournaments. They won silver medals in the Nagano
Games of 1998. They were world champions twice. They did not need any help to win the Salt
Lake City Games in 2002, and did not have any contacts with Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov at all, he
said.
Smirnov sympathized with the athletes. “They are being pestered instead of being given the
possibility to prepare for the new season,” he said. The Russian figure skaters have all reasons to
sue American television companies for claiming their connection to the Russian Mafia, he noted.
Such scandals tell directly on the professional reputation of athletes and may play a negative role
in signing professional contracts, he said.
The same is true of the French athletes, Smirnov said. Anissina and Peizerat were leaders for four
years and did not need any conspiracy either, he noted. What is more, the Russian judge gave
them the second place in the Olympic tournament.
As for the charges based on records of telephone conversations, that were not enough, Smirnov
said. “There is a need for more weighty arguments. And such have not been produced,” he
remarked.
-0-yer
By Natalia Moskovskaya
81
Tokhtakhunov stunned by charges, pleads innocence
ITAR/TASS News
TEXT:
PARIS, Aug 02, 2002 (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) – Russian citizen Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, who was
arrested in Italy on Wednesday on suspicion of an attempt to juggle results of the figure skating
contest at the Salt Lake City Olympics in winter 2002, is stunned by the charge and does not plead
guilty.
Tokhtakhunov’s Italian lawyer says his client knows absolutely nothing.
On Friday the lawyer met with Tokhtakhunov in prison. He said they had not seen the act of
indictment from the American authorities, which was the basis for the arrest.
Tokhtakhunov has never been to the United States, knows nothing about figure skating, and is not
interested in that sport, the lawyer said.
The first court hearing will take place next Tuesday to confirm or cancel the arrest. The lawyer said
he would demand to release his client or, at least, change the custody in prison to the house arrest.
The fraud charge is not that serious, Tokhtakhunov resides in Italy, and the house arrest is quite
possible, the lawyer said.
He said that Tokhtakhunov is a former businessman who lives on his past profits. The lawyer said
he was requested to defend Tokhtakhunov by persons from the ex-businessman’s circle after the
arrest.
-0-yer
By Yuri Malinov
82
French skating chief denies links with alleged Olympic fixer [Corrected 08/01/02]
904 words 2 August 2002 Agence France-Presse English (Copyright 2002)
CORRECTION: ATTENTION - RECASTS, ADDS quotes, details
PARIS, Aug 1 (AFP) - The head of the French skating federation (FFSG) Didier Gailhaguet on
Thursday denied links with an alleged mobster arrested in Italy on charges of fixing results during
the Winter Olympic in Salt Lake City.
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov was arrested after Italian police raided a Tuscan villa as part of a
combined operation between the FBI, Interpol and Europol and now faces extradition to the United
States.
The Uzbek-born Tokhtakhunov, 53, was taken to Venice where he was charged with conspiracy to
commit wire fraud and influence a sporting event - the Olympics - through bribery.
He is accused of acting with the knowledge of the Russian and French skating federations.
But FFSG president Gailhaguet on Thursday denied any contact with Tokhtakhunov, although he
admitted that the alleged mafia man had visited their headquarters in Paris two years ago.
"On behalf of the FFSG and myself I must affirm quite clearly that we did not have with Mr.
Tokhtakhunov any relationship, any direct contact or through intermediaries, not before, during or
after the Olympic Games concerning the events which took place," said Gailhaguet in a statement.
But Gailhaguet admitted that "during the spring of 2000, and at his request, Mr. Tokhtakhunov
came to the FFSG headquarters regarding a partnership proposal benefiting a Parisian ice hockey
club.
"Details taken on the concerned person there was no follow up on this exchange and since no
contact kept with him."
The Salt Lake City Games in February were rocked by the scandal over the voting on the pairs
event.
French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne was banned for three years over allegations that she had
bowed to pressure from Gailhaguet to vote for Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze, who were awarded gold.
It was alleged that she agreed to rig her vote in exchange for the Russian judge voting for the
French in the ice dancing event. French ice dancers Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat went
on to take that title.
Her marks were later cancelled and an additional gold medal was given to Canadian pair Jamie
Sale and David Pelletier, who had won silver.
83
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge said he was appalled to learn of
alleged mafia links to the ice skating vote-rigging scandal.
"The IOC is appalled by the revelations, which came as a total suprise to us," said Rogge.
"While we knew from previous investigations that the judgement in the pairs figure skating was not
correct, we are shocked to learn of the alleged involvement of organised crime.
"The IOC will want to obtain the full facts and will be liaising with the ISU (International Skating
Union) to progress things as rapidly as possible so that the IOC Executive Board can then examine
the case with all the information available."
ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta said that he was "shocked" by the revelations.
"The ISU did not have any prior knowledge of this individual and his alleged activities. His name did
not appear in the detailed and scrupulous enquiry carried out by the ISU on this subject," said
Cinquanta.
"The ISU will follow the accusations of the Americans with attention and are ready to cooperate
with all law and order forces concerned," he added.
Police sources said anti-mafia prosecutor Francesco Sacerio Pavone "has a 700-page dossier" on
Tokhtakhunov," who, they said, has links to politicians and owns luxury homes in several Italian
cities.
Tokhtakhunov, who was detained on an American arrest warrant, could be extradited to the United
States in the autumn, police said.
"Italian law requires a 45-day delay for extradition, but because the justice system has just begun
their long summer break which finishes on September 15 this extradition could be much later, in
the autumn," police added.
News of Tokhtakhunov's arrest caused consternation in both Italy and Russia.
Italian Barbara Fusar Poli, who won bronze in the ice dancing at Salt Lake, claimed it proved she
and her partner Maurizio Margaglio had been deprived of gold and the competition should be rerun.
The Russian Olympic Committee tried to distance themselves from Tokhtakhunov.
ROC president Leonid Tyagachev claimed he had never met Tokhtakhunov, who has dual
Russian-Israeli citizenship.
Tyagachev told local press.
84
Wednesday's swoop on the villa near the Tuscan town of Forte dei Marmi came after a crackdown
into an organised crime syndicate from Russia going by the name of "The Sun Brigade".
Tokhtakhunov, who has spent some time in Paris in an appartment in the chic 16th arrondisement
of the city, is linked to fraud cases in Germany, bribery, and trafficking in drugs, arms and works of
art, Interpol claimed.
He is also suspected of being behind gambling scams.
According to sources in a taped telephone conversation before the Olympics he is heard to say that
"we have four of the six judges in our pocket.
"The Russians are going to get the medal. For the other, it'll be the Russian girl who skates with the
Frenchman."
vars/nr/ea02
Document afpr000020020801dy8200d9x
85
EISKUNSTLAUF.
neuzz00020020802dy8200022
Von
Si.101
Words
02
August
2002
Neue
Zürcher
Zeitung
German
Besuchen Sie die Website der führenden Schweizer Internationalen Tageszeitung unter
http://www.nzz.ch
EISKUNSTLAUF
Russischer Mafiaboss festgenommen
(si/dpa) Der olympische Sport sieht sich mit einer neuen Dimension des Betrugs konfrontiert. Der
russische Mafiaboss Alimsan Tochtachunow soll in Salt Lake City Einfluss auf die Entscheidungen
im Paarlauf und im Eistanz genommen haben. Tochtachunow wurde am Mittwoch in Forte dei
Marmi in Haft genommen und dann nach Venedig überstellt. Innerhalb von 45 Tagen muss Italien
über einen Auslieferungsantrag der USA entscheiden. Der Verdacht des Olympia-Betrugs gegen
Tochtachunow war das Nebenprodukt von Europol-Ermittlungen in einer Geldwäscher-Operation.
Der 53-Jährige soll eine der einflussreichsten Figuren der russischen Mafia im Ausland sein.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------(c) 2002 Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive, LLC. Trading as Factiva. All Rights Reserved.
86
CDI Russia Weekly-#217
2 August 2002
Edited by David Johnson
Center for Defense Information
1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20036
phone: 202-797-5277; fax: 202-462-4559
The CDI Russia Weekly is an e-mail newsletter that carries news and analysis on all aspects of
today’s Russia, including political,
economic, social, military, and foreign policy issues. With support from the Carnegie Corporation of
New York and the MacArthur Foundation, CDI Russia Weekly is a project of the Washington-based
Center for Defense
Russia: Prosecutor Alleges Mafia Role In Olympic Skating Controversy By Jeffrey Donovan
The judging scandal that rocked last winter’s figure-skating competition at the Olympic Games is
grabbing headlines again. Yesterday, Italian police arrested a Russian citizen believed by U.S.
investigators to have masterminded a plot to award an Olympic gold medal to Russia’s top figureskating duo.
Prague, 1 August 2002 (RFE/RL) – Has Russian organized crime penetrated the
pinnacle of international sports, the Olympic Games?
If charges filed by a United States federal prosecutor prove true, it has.
Police in Italy yesterday arrested an alleged Russian crime boss on suspicions he rigged the
outcome of two figure-skating events at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in the U.S. city of Salt
Lake City. The arrest followed a joint investigation between Italian police and the U.S. Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and a criminal complaint filed in New York City by federal prosecutor
James Comey.
Alimzan Tokhtakhounov was detained at his seaside home in northwest Italy. He is described in
the complaint as a native Uzbek linked to Russian organized crime, with alleged connections to
arms and art smuggling.
Tokhtakhounov is being held in a Venice jail pending possible extradition to the U.S., where he
faces up to 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines if convicted of two charges: conspiracy to
commit bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a sports event.
Speaking yesterday in New York, Comey accused the Tashkent-born Tokhtakhounov of being “a
major figure in international Eurasian organized crime.” Comey said Tokhtakhounov directed a plot
to award gold medals to the top Russian figure-skating pair and France’s top ice dancers. “The
long arm of Russian organized crime reached across the globe this past February and into Salt
Lake City with a pair of fixes for the Winter Olympics,” Comey said.
87
Those alleged “fixes” riveted international media attention for two weeks last winter and cast a
shadow over the integrity of Olympic judging. International Olympic Committee President Jacques
Rogge said today he is “appalled” by the latest allegations.
The problem started when the Russian team of Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze were awarded the gold medal in pairs figure skating, despite falling in what was widely
perceived, at least outside Russia, as an inferior performance to that of silver medalists Jamie Sale
and David Pelletier of Canada.
Indeed, the next day, a French judge, Marie-Reine Le Gougne, said she had been pressured by
her own skating federation to favor the Russian couple. Le Gougne later recanted, but the
Canadian pair was awarded a duplicate gold medal in compensation.
That unprecedented turn of events sparked a wave of outrage across Russia, with the national
Olympic Committee threatening to bring its athletes home before the end of the games. Russian
President Vladimir Putin accused Olympic organizers of conspiring to thwart Russian success.
But U.S. prosecutor Comey said he believes the real plot was akin to an exchange of favors, with
French “assistance” to Russia’s figure-skating win being paid back with Russian help in securing
French gold in ice dancing.
The ice-dancing event was won by France’s Gwendal Peizerat and Marina Anissina, who is
Russian-born.
Comey said the charges against Tokhtakhounov are based on a series of wiretapped phone
conversations he conducted from his various homes in Italy with his alleged coconspirators, as well
as, Comey said, with Anissina and her mother.
The FBI has cited an exchange from one of those conversations, in which
Tokhtakhounov allegedly tells Anissina’s mother that, even if her daughter falls, “We will make sure
she is number one.”
Tokhtakhounov’s payoff allegedly was to come in the form of help from the head of the French
Skating Federation in renewing his visa to France, where he once lived. Comey described the plot
this way: “Essentially, the Russian organized-crime figure, the defendant, is alleged to have wanted
to help this young woman, who is a member of the French pairs team, dancing team, and also help
himself. And so to do that, he arranged a classic quid pro quo: ‘You’ll line up support for the
Russian pair, we’ll line up support for the French pair, and everybody will go away with the gold.
And perhaps there will be a
little gold for me, the Russian organized-crime figure.’”
For his part, Canadian skater Sale told reporters yesterday that, “everything is now coming out in
the wash” – that the investigation is showing that corruption did, in fact, determine the outcome.
But Russian Olympic Committee spokesman Gennadii Shvets told RFE/RL today that Russian
athletes were the target of a conspiracy. Shvets called the entire case “laughable.” “Sikharulidze
and Berezhnaya’s program, technically speaking, was higher than that of Pelletier and Sale –
88
everyone knows that – or they were equal, at least. And they didn’t need [Tokhtakhounov] in order
for them to finish in first place. It’s laughable and sad at the same time, because again, a kind of
rotten tomato is flying at our Olympic competitors, who have a normal reputation, who are strong
enough,” Shvets said.
Comey said investigators have no evidence of any direct contact between Tokhtakhounov and his
alleged coconspirators in the Russian Skating Federation and the French judge Le Gougne.
Both Le Gougne and Didier Gailhaguet, the head of the French Skating Federation who allegedly
pressured Le Gougne to vote for the Russians, were suspended for three years by the International
Skating Union.
Maxwell Miller, a lawyer representing Le Gougne in Salt Lake City, is quoted as telling “The New
York Times” today that the case vindicates his client.
“She’s a scapegoat and a target of a corrupt system and was unfairly singled out,” Miller said.
Excerpts from transcripts of the wiretaps cited in the U.S. complaint quote an unidentified crime
figure as talking with Tokhtakhounov shortly after the figure-skating event. He allegedly says, “Our
Sikharulidze fell; the Canadians were 10 times better. And in spite of that, the French with their
vote gave us first place.”
He then reportedly adds, “Everything is going the way you need it.”
(RFE/RL’s Kathleen Knox contributed to this story.)
89
Russian Press Review - Tokhtakhunov's arrest, Lukoil sale.
291 words
2 August 2002
Prime TASS
English
(c) 2002 Prime TASS. Not available for re-dissemination.
MOSCOW, Aug 2 /Prime-TASS/ - Russian newspapers this morning focus on different story lines,
including the arrest of a Russian mafia boss in Italy and the government decision to postpone the
sale of a stake in oil major Lukoil. Below are selected headlines from Friday morning newspapers:
Kommersant:
"Russian Mafia Comes Close to Olympic Gold" / Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, an infamous
Russian mafia boss living in Europe, was arrested in Italy Wednesday for allegedly influencing the
results of the Olympic figure skating competition earlier this year/
Vedomosti: "They Gave It Second Thought" /The Kremlin reportedly decided to revoke its plan to
nationalize the mineral resources, it will instead hike taxes on resources development/
"Lukoil was not Sold" /Government officials decided against selling a state stake in Russia's largest
oil company/
Gazeta: "Figure Skater" / Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, an infamous Russian mafia boss arrested in
Italy Wednesday is most likely to be extradited to the U.S. and tried there/
Vremya Novostei "We don't Sell Cheap" /The government decides to put off the sale of its stake
in oil major Lukoil/ "Taiwanchik's Olympic Gold" /U.S. investigators say that Russian mafia boss
Tokhtakhunov known as Taiwanchik bribed Olympic judges to get gold for Russian athletes/
Moscow Times: "Lukoil Privatization Sale Canceled" /The government left investors perplexed
Thursday by calling off its biggest privatization of the year, the much-anticipated sale of 5.9 percent
of Lukoil/ "U.S. Will Fund Oil Study in Siberia" /The United States will fund the exploration of oil and
gas fields off the Arctic coast of eastern Siberia, the first show of energy partnership with Russia
since the May presidential summit,
U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said Thursday. End.
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90
Com'è sporco il ghiaccio olimpico Svelati i contenuti delle intercettazioni
telefoniche - chiari ...
Di Andrea Buongiovanni.
823 words
2 August 2002
La Gazzetta dello Sport
26
Italian
(c)Gazzetta dello Sport. http://www.gazzetta.it
Com'è sporco il ghiaccio olimpico Svelati i contenuti delle intercettazioni telefoniche - chiari accordi
tra l'Anissina e il mafioso uzbeco arrestato mercoledì.
DAL NOSTRO INVIATO MESTRE (Ve) - «Sono un grande appassionato di sport: per me le
Olimpiadi sono un valore. Nel momento in cui ho dovuto prendere atto della realtà, ho provato un
senso di profonda tristezza. Un sogno infranto, un ideale che viene meno». È mezzogiorno: la voce
del colonnello Giovanni Mainolfi si incrina mentre, in un'affollata sala della sede di Mestre delle
Fiamme Gialle, dà l'annuncio. Mainolfi, quarantatreenne beneventano di Paolisi, capello brizzolato
e aria simpatica, appassionato di sport lo è per davvero e con lo sport ha anche lavorato: attuale
comandante del Nucleo Regionale della Polizia Tributaria del Veneto, fa parte dell'ufficio inchieste
della federcalcio e ha portato avanti in prima persona la tanto discussa indagine fiscale che ha
avuto per imputato Alberto Tomba, conclusa con l'assoluzione per «fanciullesca
inconsapevolezza» dell'atleta. Stavolta in ballo, però, c'è di più. Si è di fronte a uno dei maggiori
scandali della storia a cinque cerchi. L'Operazione East Money (così denominata dalla stessa
Guardia di Finanza) partita a febbraio, mercoledì a Mestre, in esecuzione a un ordine di cattura
emesso il 22 luglio dalla polizia distrettuale di New York, ha condotto all'arresto di Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov, cinquantatreenne uzbeco da tempo residente in Italia, esponente di spicco della
mafia russa. Ma nel contempo ha tolto il coperchio a una storia che si intuiva torbida, ma non così
sporca. Ora ci sono prove inconfutabili: il risultato della gara di danza del pattinaggio di figura
all'Olimpiade invernale di Salt Lake City nel febbraio scorso è stato pesantemente condizionato da
fattori esterni all'evento, se non addirittura deciso a tavolino. L'oro dei francesi Marina AnissinaGwendal Peizerat, il primo successo olimpico transalpino nella disciplina dopo 70 anni, è falso e le
prime vittime del complotto, per quanto si apprende, sono gli azzurri Barbara Fusar Poli-Maurizio
Margaglio, nello Utah arrivati al bronzo, prima volta tricolore su un podio a cinque cerchi.
Tokhtakhounov, soprannominato «Alik», da tempo residente in Italia, proprietario di immobili anche
a Roma, Milano e a Forte dei Marmi, ha cittadinanza israeliana, francese e tedesca ed era in
attesa anche di quella italiana (per matrimonio con una donna russa già naturalizzata). Gli
investigatori lo accusano di associazione a delinquere aggravata, truffa e corruzione. Esistono
trascrizioni di telefonate in cui l'uzbeco fa diretto riferimento a voti di scambio tra la federazione
russa e quella francese nell'ambito della gara olimpica delle coppie di artistico e di quella, appunto,
di danza. In una telefonata, che ha per protagonisti Alik e un certo Chevallier (personaggio che
alcune fonti riconoscono in Bernard, fino allo scorso mese presidente della federazione francese di
sci, ma potrebbe trattarsi di omonimia o di un nome in codice), viene fatta la conta dei voti a favore
di Anissina-Peizerat e contro Fusar Poli-Margaglio.
Un'altra telefonata di Tokhtakhounov, molto esplicita, è proprio con Marina, transalpina di Mosca
che per la Russia ha pattinato fino ai primi anni Novanta: l'atleta ringrazia Alik per tutto quanto ha
fatto per lei... Ed è proprio con la mamma di Marina (Irina Cherniyeva, che al fianco di Vassili
91
Blagov fu sesta nelle coppie di artistico a Sapporo '72) che Tokhtakhounov avrebbe intavolato le
prime trattative.
In una conversazione con tale Serghei, un russo (che si lamenta con Alik: «Perché non i nostri?» e
si sente rispondere: «Lei è metà nostra. I nostri sono arrivati secondi»), Tokhtakhounov spiega:
«Marina è mia grande amica. Lei per un mese intero mi ha chiesto di farla diventare campionessa
alle Olimpiadi. Ho chiamato Chevallier». Nelle coppie di artistico (per ricordare i termini della
vicenda di Salt Lake City) il successo andò ai russi Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze, ma dopo le
rivelazioni della giudice francese Marie-Reine Le Gougne (che ammise di aver votato a favore dei
russi perché sottoposta a forti pressioni), il Cio, caso senza precedenti, impose che l'oro venisse
assegnato anche ai secondi, i canadesi Sale-Pelletier. La Le Gougne sarebbe stata «comprata»
perché così poi, nella danza, il giudice russo avrebbe votato a favore dei transalpini e non della
coppia italiana.
Che cosa succederà ora? «Quanto emerso dagli inquirenti - dice telefonicamente Ottavio
Cinquanta, presidente dell'Isu - è del tutto nuovo per me. Di Tokhtakhunov non ho mai sentito
parlare, non so proprio chi sia. Diversamente, come abbiamo dimostrato con i casi Le Gougne e
Gailhaguet, avremmo già preso provvedimenti. Chiederemo chiarimenti all'Fbi: se emergeranno
nuove realtà, valuteremo cosa fare. Per il momento non mi sento di dire che cambieranno i risultati
delle gare olimpiche. La nostra federazione conserva un suo stile: non facciamo la caccia alle
streghe e i pattinatori italiani non dovrebbero cercare vetrine che per ora non appartengono loro».
Andrea Buongiovanni.
Document gds0000020020802dy8200050
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92
VII. 03/082002
Itar-Tass Russia and CIS new summary for Friday
ITAR/TASS News
Saturday, August 3, 2002 00:53 EDT
NEWSWIRE WORD COUNT: 1,513
TEXT:
MOSCOW - - The Russian Olympic Committee will stand up for the interests and tranquility of
athletes and their possibility to continue training and enjoy their Olympic gold, says a statement
signed by Committee President Leonid Tyagachyov. Itar-Tass obtained the statement on Friday.
"The Russian Olympic Committee and the entire sports public of the country are seriously
Tokhtakhunov in Italy," the statement runs.
-0Copyright (c) 2002 ITAR/TASS News. All rights reserved.
93
Pound fordert den Ausschluss des Eiskunstlaufs von Olympia.
553 words 3 August 2002 Frankfurter Rundschau German (c) Copyright Frankfurter Rundschau
2002 www.fr-aktuell.de
R 4-24H
Auch IOC-Vizepräsident Bach schließt im Skandal um russischen Mafia-Boss nichts mehr aus /
Auch Kontakte zum Tennis
Die olympische Zukunft der Eiskunstläufer hängt nach den neuen Enthüllungen um den Skandal
von Salt Lake City am seidenen Faden. "Ich schließe zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt nichts aus, auch nicht
eine Annullierung der Olympia-Ergebnisse", sagte IOC-Vizepräsident Thomas Bach. "Aber ich
halte auch nichts von Schnellschüssen. Vorrangig ist die schnelle Aufklärung. Es geht um die
Glaubwürdigkeit des Sports und um seine Existenz."
Bach ergriff am Freitag die Initiative und forderte das FBI auf, seine bisher gewonnenen
Erkenntnisse der Internationalen Eislauf-Union (ISU) zur Verfügung zu stellen. Außerdem rief der
Tauberbischofsheimer in einem Schreiben an Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily "zur engen
Zusammenarbeit zwischen Staat und Sport mit intensivem Informationsaustausch" auf. "Wenn es
Erkenntnisse von Bundeskriminalamt oder Europol gibt, sollte der Sport diese erhalten", forderte
Bach zwei Tage nach der Verhaftung des unter Mafia-Verdacht stehenden Russen Alimsan
Tochtaschunow in Italien.
Die Auswertung dessen vom FBI abgehörter Telefonate hatte ergeben, dass offenbar sechs der
insgesamt jeweils neun Preisrichter von Salt Lake City im Paarlauf und Eistanz beeinflusst worden
waren. FBI-Ermittler gaben außerdem bekannt, dass Tochtaschunow in Salt Lake City einen
namentlich nicht genannten Komplizen aus Kreisen des russischen Eislauf-Verbandes hatte, der
den Kontakt zu den Preisrichtern herstellte. Bach hält es für möglich, dass dies kein Einzelfall ist:
"Wir müssen alles tun, damit die organisierte Kriminalität nicht auch noch in den Sport eindringen
kann. Das aber kann der Sport nicht allein schaffen, dabei muss ihm die Politik helfen", sagte der
Sportfunktionär. Deshalb habe er mit seinem Aufruf an das FBI und dem Brief an Schily die
Initiative ergriffen.
Gleichzeitig hatte auch das Nationale Olympische Komitee der USA (USOC) in einem Schreiben
an IOC-Präsident Jacques Rogge "zu schnellem Handeln in aller Härte" aufgerufen. Das
kanadische IOC-Mitglied Dick Pound, Vorsitzender der Antidoping-Weltagentur (Wada), deutete
mögliche Konsequenzen an: "Wenn tatsächlich das organisierte Verbrechen dahinter steht, muss
die gesamte Sportart aus dem olympischen Programm gestrichen werden, bis sie wieder sauber
ist. Wenn es nur um eine Disziplin geht, dann muss diese eliminiert werden." Dazu sagte Bach:
"Für den Ausschluss der ganzen Sportart sehe ich im Moment noch keine Anzeichen." Man müsse
auch den Versuch der ISU würdigen, die nach den Winterspielen eine Reform des
Wertungssystems beschlossen habe und dürfe nicht "saubere Athleten für Machenschaften einiger
Krimineller büßen lassen".
Derweil gingen die Paarlauf-Olympiasieger Elena Bereschnaja und Anton Sicharulidse (Russland)
in die Offensive. "Wir erwägen gerichtliche Schritte gegen die US-Fernsehsender, die unsere
94
Namen und Fotos mit dem organisierten Verbrechen in Verbindung gebracht haben", sagte
Sicharulidse am Freitag. Unterstützt werden die beiden vom russischen NOK-Präsidenten Leonid
Tjagatschjow: "Unsere Athleten sind in der Lage, ohne fremde Hilfe zu siegen. Das Ganze ist
komplette Idiotie und passt besser nach Hollywood als in die ernsthafte Welt des Sports."
Doch nicht nur im Eiskunstlauf hat Tochtaschunow offenbar seine Finger im Spiel. Die russischen
Tennisprofis Jewgeni Kafelnikow und Marat Safin gaben zu, den "Taiwantschik" zu kennen.
Tochtaschunow soll den Mercedes des ehemaligen ukrainischen French-Open-Finalisten Andrei
Medwedew mit einer von diesem unterzeichneten Vollmacht gefahren haben. Medwedew war für
eine Stellungnahme nicht erreichbar, aber von seiner Webseite waren am Freitag drei Fotos
verschwunden, die ihn mit Tochtaschunow, Kafelnikow und Safin zeigten. sid.
Document frarun0020020802dy83000md
95
544 words 3 August 2002 Süddeutsche Zeitung 40 German (c) 2002 Süddeutsche Zeitung
Süddeutsche Zeitung Sport
Die Russen-Mafia im Sport
Die Festnahme des mutmaßlichen russischen Mafia-Mitgliedes Alimsan Tochtachunow wegen
möglicher Absprachen bei den Eiskunstlauf-Wettbewerben der Olympischen Winterspiele 2002 in
Salt Lake City schlägt in Russland hohe Wellen. Die Gewinner der Goldmedaillen im Paarlauf,
Jelena Bereschnaja und Anton Sicharulidse, dementierten, Tochtachunow begegnet zu sein.
"Weder wir noch jemand aus unserer Mannschaft hat diesen Menschen je gesehen", sagte
Sicharulidse nach Angaben der Agentur Interfax. Nach Moskauer Presseberichten kannte dagegen
die aus Russland stammende Eistänzerin Marina Anissina den in Italien festgenommenen
Geschäftsmann mit dem Mafia-Spitznamen "Taiwantschik" (kleiner Taiwanese). Die Zeitung
Kommersant druckte ein Bild, das Anissina bei einer Ordensverleihung an Tochtachunow 1999 in
Paris zeigte. Vorwürfen der amerikanischen Justiz zufolge soll der gebürtige Usbeke bei den
Winterspielen darauf hin gewirkt haben, dass der Titel im Paarlauf an Bereschnaja/Sicharulidse
ging, während Anissina und ihr Partner Gwendal Peizerat Gold im Eistanz für Frankreich
gewannen.Das Bild im Kommersant zeigte auch den Vize-Präsidenten des NOK von Russland,
Koslowski, bei der Ordensverleihung. Am Donnerstag hatte das NOK in Moskau jeden Kontakt zu
Tochtachunow dementieren lassen.
Die olympische Zukunft der Eiskunstläufer scheint nach den Enthüllungen am seidenen Faden zu
hängen. Das kanadische IOC-Mitglied Dick Pound, Chef der Antidoping-Weltagentur: "Wenn
tatsächlich das organisierte Verbrechen dahinter steht, muss die gesamte Sportart aus dem
olympischen Programm gestrichen werden, bis sie wieder sauber ist. Wenn es nur um eine
Disziplin geht, muss diese eliminiert werden."
Zwiespalt des IOC
Der deutsche IOC-Vize Thomas Bach forderte das FBI auf, seine Erkenntnisse der Internationalen
Eislauf-Union (ISU) zur Verfügung zu stellen. Zudem rief er in einem Schreiben an Innenminister
Schily "zur engen Zusammenarbeit zwischen Staat und Sport mit intensivem
Informationsaustausch" auf, "wenn es Erkenntnisse von Bundeskriminalamt oder Europol gibt,
sollte der Sport diese erhalten." Ein wenig irritiert die plötzlich offensive Haltung, weil hohen IOCLeuten eine Nähe zu Mafia-umwitterten Sportgrößen aus Usbekistan seit Jahren vorgeworfen
worden ist. Zudem leistet sich das IOC mit dem Russen Schamil Tarpitschew weiter ein Mitglied,
das in internationalen Publikationen immer wieder offen der Russen-Mafia zugerechnet wird.
Tarpitschew hatte wiederholt Probleme mit der Einreise in die USA.
Die Auswertung der vom FBI abgehörter Telefonate ergab, dass offenbar sechs der jeweils neun
Preisrichter von Salt Lake City im Paarlauf und Eistanz beeinflusst worden waren. Ermittler der USBundespolizei gaben außerdem bekannt, dass Tochtaschunows Kontakt zu den Preisrichtern in
Salt Lake City von einem namentlich nicht genannten Komplizen aus Kreisen des russischen
Eislauf-Verbandes hergestellt wurde.
96
Bereschnaja und Sicharulidse gingen inzwischen in die Offensive. Sicharulidse: "Wir erwägen
gerichtliche Schritte gegen US-Sender, die unsere Namen und Fotos mit dem organisierten
Verbrechen in Verbindung brachten." Trotzig äußert sich der russische NOK-Chef Tjagatschew:
"Unsere Athleten sind in der Lage, ohne fremde Hilfe zu siegen."
Tochtaschunow ist offenbar auch im Tennis aktiv: Die russischen Profis Kafelnikow und Safin
gaben zu, ihn zu kennen. Kafelniko: "Er ist ein guter Freund, bei seiner Verhaftung sind sicher
einige Fehler passiert." Von Andrei Medwedews Webseite verschwanden drei Fotos, die ihn mit
Tochtaschunow, Kafelnikow und Safin zeigten. Kurz äußerte sich Anna Kurnikowa beim Turnier in
San Diego: "Ich habe von ihm gehört, sollte aber lieber nicht darüber reden." Ob Tochtaschunow
ein Gangster sei? "Ich denke, man kann es so ausdrücken."
(dpa/sid/T.K. ).
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Rogge sieht olympische Zukunft.
608 words 3 August 2002 Aargauer Zeitung German (c) 2002 AARGAUER ZEITUNG.
Eiskunstlauf Annullation der Ergebnisse von Salt Lake City nicht ausgeschlossen
Angela Bern und Dieter Hennig
IOC-Präsident Jacques Rogge sieht trotz der «Mafia-Affäre» von Salt Lake City eine olympische
Zukunft für den Eiskunstlauf. «Wir können die Sportler nicht für die Fehler der Funktionäre
bestrafen. Wenn die Offiziellen etwas falsch gemacht haben, dann müssen sie dafür bestraft
werden, und wir werden sie auswechseln», sagte der Präsident des Internationalen Olympischen
Komitees (IOC) bei den Commonwealth-Spielen in Manchester am Freitagabend.
Der Belgier betonte, dass die Sportart Eiskunstlauf nicht für den Skandal verantwortlich gemacht
werden könne und deshalb nicht aus dem olympischen Programm genommen werden solle.
Sollten sich allerdings die Manipulationsvorwürfe bestätigen, schliesst Rogge nicht aus, «dass die
Olympia-Ergebnisse annulliert werden».Ähnlich hatte sich zuvor auch Thomas Bach geäussert.
«Aber ich halte auch nichts von Schnellschüssen. Vorrangig ist die schnelle Aufklärung. Es geht
um die Glaubwürdigkeit des Sports und um seine Existenz», sagte der IOC-Vizepräsident. Bach
ergriff am Freitag die Initiative und forderte das FBI auf, seine bisher gewonnenen Erkenntnisse
der Internationalen Eislauf-Union (ISU) zur Verfügung zu stellen.Ausserdem rief der
Tauberbischofsheimer in einem Schreiben an den deutschen Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily «zur
engen Zusammenarbeit zwischen Staat und Sport mit intensivem Informationsaustausch» auf.
«Wenn es Erkenntnisse von Bundeskriminalamt oder Europol gibt, sollte der Sport diese erhalten»,
forderte Bach zwei Tage nach der Verhaftung des unter Mafia-Verdacht stehenden Russen
Alimschan Tochtachunow in Italien.Bach hält es für durchaus möglich, dass dies kein Einzelfall ist:
«Wir müssen alles tun, damit die organisierte Kriminalität nicht auch noch in den Sport eindringen
kann. Das aber kann der Sport nicht allein schaffen, dabei muss ihm die Politik helfen», sagte der
ranghöchste deutsche Sportfunktionär. «Hier hilft nur die Maxime: &lsaquo;Wehret den
Anfängen.&rsaquo;» Deshalb habe er mit seinem Aufruf an das FBI und dem Brief an Schily die
Initiative ergriffen.Gleichzeitig hatte auch das Nationale Olympische Komitee der USA (USOC) in
einem Schreiben an IOC-Präsident Jacques Rogge «zu schnellem Handeln in aller Härte»
aufgerufen. Das kanadische IOC-Mitglied Dick Pound, Vorsitzender der Antidoping-Weltagentur
(Wada) und ohnehin kein Freund des Eiskunstlaufs, deutete mögliche Konsequenzen an: «Wenn
tatsächlich das organisierte Verbrechen dahinter steht, muss die gesamte Sportart aus dem
olympischen Programm gestrichen werden, bis sie wieder sauber ist. Wenn es nur um eine
Disziplin geht, dann muss diese eliminiert werden.»Dazu sagte Bach: «Für den Ausschluss der
ganzen Sportart sehe ich im Moment noch keine Anzeichen.» Man müsse auch den Versuch der
ISU würdigen, die nach den Winterspielen eine Reform des Wertungssystems beschlossen habe,
und dürfe nicht «saubere Athleten für Machenschaften einiger Krimineller büssen lassen».Auch die
französischen Eistanz-Olympiasieger Marina Anissina und Gwendal Peizerat sollen von den
Manipulationen profitiert haben. Anissina ist gebürtige Russin und lebt erst seit einigen Jahren in
Frankreich. «Unsere Goldmedaille ist nicht das Resultat eines Deals mit der russischen Mafia.
Diese Behauptungen sind so widerlich, verletzend und unfair», meinte Anissina in einer ersten
Stellungnahme. «Gwendal und ich haben keinerlei Hilfe gebraucht, um in Salt Lake City Gold zu
gewinnen», stellte die gebürtige Russin klar.Doch nicht nur im Eiskunstlauf hat Tochtaschunow
98
offenbar seine Finger im Spiel. Die russischen Tennisprofis Jewgeni Kafelnikow und Marat Safin
gaben am Donnerstag zu, den «Taiwantschik» zu kennen. «Er ist ein guter Freund von mir», sagte
Kafelnikow: «Bei seiner Verhaftung sind sicher einige Fehler passiert.» Safin formulierte es
zurückhaltender: «Ja, ich kenne ihn, aber was da passiert, ist nicht unser Problem. Es wäre nicht in
Ordnung, wenn wir darüber reden würden.»
«Es geht um die Glaubwürdigkeit und die Existenz»
Ebenfalls der Manipulation verdächtigt Die französischen Eistanz-Olympiasieger Anissina/Peizerat.
af - 03 - spo - 1 - 1 - eis.
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Le Monde
|
VIII. 05/08/02
Le couple Anissina-Peizerat évoquent un "coup monté"
Les champions olympiques français de danse sur glace, Marina Anissina et Gwendal
Peizerat, soutenus par le président de la Fédération française, Didier Gailhaguet, ont crié
au complot américain, lundi 5 août à Arles, devant le scandale provoqué par les soupçons
de trucage aux compétitions de patinage des Jeux de Salt Lake City.
Les patineurs français Marina Anissina et Gwendal Peizerat, champions olympiques de danse sur
glace aux Jeux olympiques de Salt Lake City, ont jugé, lundi 5 août, "ridicules" les soupçons pesant
sur leur victoire. La patineuse française a reconnu avoir rencontré, une fois, dans une soirée,
Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov – mafieux russe présumé accusé par les Etats-Unis d'avoir truqué les
résultats des épreuves de patinage des JO d'hiver – mais n'avoir jamais parlé avec lui des Jeux."Je
connais M. Tokhtakhounov. On a parlé avec lui au téléphone de temps en temps mais jamais rien
qui ne soit en rapport avec notre victoire aux JO. C'est une affaire ridicule,(...) un coup 'monté'", at-elle affirmé au cours d'une conférence de presse organisée ce lundi à Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône),
où le couple se produit mardi. "Je ne me rappelle pas exactement quand j'ai rencontré
M. Tokhtakhounov. C'était, je crois, en 1999 à une soirée où il était honoré. Pour moi, tout ce qu'on
dit de lui dans les journaux n'est pas possible. C'était quelqu'un de très intelligent et de très gentil",
a-t-elle ajouté.Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov est soupçonné d'avoir participé à un arrangement aux
termes duquel la Fédération française des sports de glace (FFSG) aurait favorisé la victoire du
couple russe Elena Berejnaya et Anton Sikharulidze face aux Canadiens Jamie Salé et David
Pelletier en patinage artistique, en échange de la victoire du couple français en danse sur glace.Le
couple russe, présent aussi lundi à Arles pour la conférence de presse, a réclamé toute la lumière
sur cette affaire. "Marina a peut-être été séduite par le relationnel très jet-set de ce monsieur"
Tokhtakhounov, a estimé, pour sa part, Didier Gailhaguet, le président de la FFSG, qui a qualifié
cette affaire de "formidable histoire rocambolesque". "J'ai entendu le nom de cet homme pour la
première fois il y a trois jours en Angleterre lors du gala de la reine", a assuré, quant à lui, Gwendal
Peizerat.
"QUE DANS LES FILMS AMÉRICAINS"
Dans des conversations téléphoniques interceptées par la police italienne, la voix présumée
d'Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov mentionnerait, en russe, qu'il est intervenu auprès des juges
olympiques. Il se féliciterait ainsi, deux jours après le sacre du couple français, d'avoir consacré
Marina Anissina "championne". Les enregistrements téléphoniques transmis par la police italienne
aux enquêteurs du FBI laisseraient également apparaître que la mère de la patineuse française
aurait aussi été en contact avec le présumé mafieux."Je ne sais pas à qui téléphone ma maman,
mais je suis sûre que ce n'est pas elle que l'on entend sur ces enregistrements. Elle ne m'a jamais
parlé de rien et je ne suis pas au courant de ces appels téléphoniques", a expliqué Marina Anissina.
Les enregistrements eux-mêmes peuvent avoir été trafiqués, a-t-elle fait valoir. Son partenaire de
danse a ajouté n'avoir jamais été contacté par les enquêteurs américains. "Nous n'avons eu aucun
contact avec le FBI. Je n'aurai de toute façon pas grand-chose à leur dire. S'ils ont cependant des
questions à nous poser, pas de problème, nous sommes là", a-t-il dit.Le président de la FFSG s'est
montré plus incisif avec, a-t-il dit, la "sauce du FBI". "En trois mois de tournée aux USA, Marina et
Gwendal n'ont jamais été inquiétés ni interrogés par le FBI. Ce n'est que le jour de leur retour en
France que l'affaire éclate. Quand on connaît le professionnalisme du FBI, on ne peut qu'apprécier
le timing", a déclaré Didier Gailhaguet. "J'éclate de rire en écoutant le FBI. Heureusement que le
ridicule ne tue point. Le FBI parle de mafia russe et j'affirme moi que M. Tokhtakhounov est un
vantard et un dangereux clown mythomane." Comme les Français, les Russes Elena Berejnaya et
Anton Sikharulidze ont réaffirmé n'avoir bénéficié d'aucune aide extérieure pour décrocher une
médaille d'or dans la catégorie des couples.
100
101
Olympischer Paarlauf-Skandal - Alle gegen die Mafia Politik will IOC helfen.
601 words 5 August 2002
Sport (FAZ Intitut)German
(c) 2002 Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH
FRANKFURT (dpa). Im Skandal um Eiskunstlauf-Entscheidungen bei den Olympischen
Winterspielen in Salt Lake City hat das Internationale Olympische Komitee (IOC) am Wochenende
seine Bemühungen um Aufklärung intensiviert. IOC-Präsident Jacques Rogge forderte nach der
Internationalen Eislauf-Union (ISU) auch das Nationale Olympische Komitee (NOK) Frankreichs zu
einer Untersuchung auf. Außerdem übertrug der Belgier den Fall der unabhängigen
Ethikkommission des IOC. Sie soll, "wenn notwendig, Ermittlungen einleiten und das
Exekutivkomitee beraten", sagte IOC-Vizepräsident Thomas Bach. Der Wirtschaftsanwalt aus
Tauberbischofsheim bekam für das IOC von Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily die Zusage
staatlicher Unterstützung. Dabei geht es besonders um die Beschaffung von Informationen über
den russischen Mafia-Boss Alimsan Tochtachunow.
Er war am Mittwoch in Italien auf Antrag der Staatsanwaltschaft in New York auch unter dem
Verdacht verhaftet worden, auf die Entscheidungen im Paarlaufen und Eistanzen eingewirkt zu
haben. "Bevor wir irgendeine Maßnahme ergreifen oder eine Sanktion aussprechen, benötigen wir
mehr Fakten", sagte IOC-Präsident Rogge bei den Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Sie
sollen auch von staatlichen Stellen kommen. In einem kurzfristig vereinbarten Treffen mit Bach am
Freitag hat Schily Hilfestellung zugesagt. Das IOC möchte als Geschädigter beim Verfahren in
New York gegen Tochtachunow eine Art Nebenklägerstellung erhalten, zumindest Zugang zu
sämtlichen Akten bekommen. Außerdem will es über die Ermittlungsergebnisse europäischer
Sicherheitsdienste informiert werden. Die Anklage gegen Tochtachunow in New York basiert auf
Abhörprotokollen von Europol. Die Zusage Schilys umfaßt auch vorbeugende Maßnahmen
gegenüber der neuen Gefahr des organisierten Verbrechens im Sport. Untersucht werden soll, ob
und wie weit Kriminalität bereits jetzt auf den Sport einwirkt. Das IOC will im Gegenzug den
staatlichen Stellen alle Erkenntnisse weitergeben. Der Bundesinnenminister habe sich "befriedigt
über die Vorgehensweise des IOC geäußert", sagte Bach. Die Ermittlungen in Frankreich
konzentrieren sich vor allem auf den suspendierten französischen Präsidenten des nationalen
Eislauf-Verbandes, Didier Gailhaguet. Die mögliche Schlüsselfigur des Skandals fungierte in Salt
Lake City auch als Chef de Mission des französischen Teams. Gailhaguet war nach dem
skandalösen Ausgang der Paarlauf-Entscheidung wie die französische Preisrichterin Marie-Reine
Le Gougne von der ISU für drei Jahre gesperrt worden. Begründet wurde die Strafe mit Druck, den
Gailhaguet auf seine Landsfrau für einen Sieg des russischen Paars Elena Bereschnaja und Anton
Sicharulidse ausgeübt haben soll. Wegen des als Skandal empfundenen Sieges von
Bereschnaja/Sicharulidse hatte die ISU auch den zweitplazierten Kanadiern Jami Sale/David
Pelletier die Goldmedaille zuerkannt. Gailhaguet erklärte, er habe "vor, während und nach den
Winterspielen" keinen Kontakt zu Tochtachunow gehabt. Zugleich bestätigte er ein Treffen mit ihm
im Frühjahr 2000, bei dem es um eine "mögliche Partnerschaft zum Nutzen für einen Pariser
Eishockey-Club" gegangen sei. Der Spitzenfunktionär steht nun im Verdacht, die Interessen von
Tochtachunow unterstützt zu haben. Tochtachunow wird von der amerikanischen
Staatsanwaltschaft vorgeworfen, er habe den Sieg von Bereschnaja/Sicharulidse und im
Gegengeschäft den Erfolg des französischen Tanzpaars Marina Anissina/Gwendal Peizerat
betrieben. Anissina ist eine Exil-Russin. Aufgezeichnete Telefongespräche belegen den Kontakt
102
der Läuferin und ihrer Mutter zu Tochtachunow, in Mafia-Kreisen "Taiwantschik" (kleiner
Taiwanese) genannt. Olympiasiegerin Anissina hat Anschuldigungen des Betruges als
"verleumderisch, verletzend, entehrend und ungerecht" zurückgewiesen. Sie wolle juristisch gegen
die "Diffamierungen vorgehen und Schadensersatz verlangen". Der in Venedig einsitzende
Tochtachunow ließ über seinen Anwalt erklären, die Anschuldigungen gegen ihn seien eine
"Farce". Sein Mandant sei "total überrascht. Er weiß nichts über die Olympischen Winterspiele in
Salt Lake City, und er ist nicht einmal ein Fan von Eiskunstlaufen." Rogge kündigte an, daß das
mögliche Fehlverhalten von Funktionären und Preisrichtern keine Bestrafung von Sportlern nach
sich ziehen werde. Allerdings kann im IOC eine neue Diskussion über Eiskunstlaufen als
olympische Sportart entbrennen.
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"Mafia-Affäre" zieht weite Kreise.
554
words
5
August
2002
Saarbrücker
Zeitung
Genios
German (c) by Saarbrücker Zeitung, Saarbrücker Zeitung Verlag und Druckerei GmbH,
Saarbrücken provided by GENIOS Wirtschaftsdatenbanken Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Die
Reproduktion oder Modifikation ganz oder teilweise ohne schriftliche Genehmigung ist untersagt.
All rights reserved. Reproduction or modification in whole or in part without express written
permission is prohibited.
Eiskunstlauf-Skandal bei Olympia: sechs Preisrichter beteiligt
Von ANGELA BERN und DIETER HENNIG
Neuss. Die olympische Zukunft der Eiskunstläufer hängt nach den neuen Enthüllungen um den
Skandal von Salt Lake City mehr denn je am seidenen Faden. "Ich schließe zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt
nichts aus, auch nicht eine Annullierung der Olympia-Ergebnisse", sagte IOC-Vizepräsident
Thomas Bach. "Aber ich halte auch nichts von Schnellschüssen. Vorrangig ist die schnelle
Aufklärung."
Bach ergriff am Freitag die Initiative und forderte das FBI auf, seine bisherigen Erkenntnisse der
Internationalen Eislauf-Union (ISU) zur Verfügung zu stellen. Zudem rief Bach in einem Schreiben
an Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily "zur engen Zusammenarbeit zwischen Staat und Sport mit
intensivem Informationsaustausch" auf. "Wenn es Erkenntnisse von Bundeskriminalamt oder
Europol gibt, sollte der Sport diese erhalten", forderte Bach nach der Verhaftung des unter MafiaVerdacht stehenden Russen Alimsan Tochtaschunow in Italien.
Die Auswertung dessen vom FBI abgehörten Telefonate hatte ergeben, dass offenbar sechs der
jeweils neun Preisrichter von Salt Lake City im Paarlauf und Eistanz beeinflusst worden waren.
Ermittler der US-Bundespolizei gaben außerdem bekannt, dass Tochtaschunow in Salt Lake City
einen namentlich nicht genannten Komplizen aus Kreisen des russischen Eislauf-Verbandes hatte,
der den Kontakt zu den Preisrichtern herstellte.
Bach hält es für möglich, dass dies kein Einzelfall ist: "Wir müssen alles tun, damit die organisierte
Kriminalität nicht in den Sport eindringen kann. Das aber kann der Sport nicht allein schaffen, dabei
muss ihm die Politik helfen", sagte der ranghöchste deutsche Sportfunktionär. Deshalb habe er mit
seinem Aufruf an das FBI und dem Brief an Schily die Initiative ergriffen. Gleichzeitig hatte auch
das Nationale Olympische Komitee der USA in einem Schreiben an IOC-Präsident Jacques Rogge
"zu schnellem Handeln in aller Härte" aufgerufen.
Das kanadische IOC-Mitglied Dick Pound deutete mögliche Konsequenzen an: "Wenn tatsächlich
das organisierte Verbrechen dahinter steht, muss die gesamte Sportart aus dem olympischen
Programm gestrichen werden, bis sie wieder sauber ist." Dazu sagte Bach: "Für den Ausschluss
der ganzen Sportart sehe ich im Moment noch keine Anzeichen."
Derweil gingen die "begünstigten" Paarlauf-Olympiasieger Elena Bereschnaja und Anton
Sicharulidse (Russland) in die Offensive. "Wir erwägen gerichtliche Schritte gegen die US-
104
Fernsehsender, die unsere Namen mit dem organisierten Verbrechen in Verbindung gebracht
haben", sagte Sicharulidse.
Auch die französischen Eistanz-Olympiasieger Marina Anissina und Gwendal Peizerat sollen von
den Manipulationen profitiert haben. In einem der abgehörten Telefonate sagte Tochtaschunow:
"Hast du Marina Anissina gesehen? Wir haben sie zur Olympiasiegerin gemacht." Zwei Tage nach
der Eistanz-Kür ist eine Frauenstimme zu hören, die Tochtaschunow auf Russisch beschimpft: "Ich
hätte auch ohne deine Hilfe Gold gewonnen." Marina Anissina ist gebürtige Russin und lebt erst
seit einigen Jahren in Frankreich.
Doch nicht nur im Eiskunstlauf hat Tochtaschunow seine Finger im Spiel. Die russischen
Tennisprofis Jewgeni Kafelnikow und Marat Safin gaben zu, den "Taiwantschik" zu kennen. "Er ist
ein guter Freund von mir", sagte Kafelnikow. Dass Tochtaschunow den Mercedes des ehemaligen
ukrainischen French-Open-Finalisten Andrei Medwedew mit einer unterzeichneten Vollmacht fuhr,
kann sich Kafelnikow nicht erklären.
Medwedew war für eine Stellungnahme nicht erreichbar, aber von seiner Webseite sind drei Fotos
verschwunden, die ihn mit Tochtaschunow, Kafelnikow und Safin zeigten. Vorsichtig äußerte sich
Anna Kurnikowa: "Ich habe von dem Mann gehört, aber ich sollte nicht darüber reden. Ich bin
Russin und muss immer wieder nach Russland zurück. Außerdem leben meine Eltern dort."
Document saarzt0020020805dy85000wu
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Schily sagt Unterstützung zu/Eiskunstlauf-Skandal - IOC fordert von Frankreich-NOK
Aufklärung - ...
318
words
5
August
2002
Sudkurier
–
Genios
German
(c) by Südkurier, Südkurier GmbH, Konstanz provided by GENIOS Wirtschaftsdatenbanken Alle
Rechte vorbehalten. Die Reproduktion oder Modifikation ganz oder teilweise ohne schriftliche
Genehmigung ist untersagt. All rights reserved. Reproduction or modification in whole or in part
without express written permission is prohibited.
Schily sagt Unterstützung zu/Eiskunstlauf-Skandal - IOC fordert von Frankreich-NOK Aufklärung Schlüsselfigur Gailhaguet.
Im Skandal um Eiskunstlauf-Entscheidungen bei den Olympischen Winterspielen in Salt Lake City
hat das Internationale Olympischen Komitees (IOC) seine Bemühungen um Aufklärung intensiviert.
IOC-Präsident Jacues Rogge hat nach der Internationalen Eislauf-Union auch das Nationale
Olympische Komitee Frankreichs zu einer Untersuchung aufgefordert.
Außerdem übertrug der Belgier den Fall der unabhängigen Ethikkommission des IOC. Sie soll
"wenn notwendig Ermittlungen einleiten und das Exekutivkomitee beraten", sagte IOCVizepräsident Thomas Bach.
Der Wirtschaftsanwalt bekam für das IOC von Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily die Zusage
staatlicher Unterstützung. Dabei geht es besonders um die Beschaffung von Informationen über
den russischen Mafia-Boss Alimsan Tochtachunow. Er war am Mittwoch in Italien auf Antrag der
Staatsanwaltschaft in New York auch unter dem Verdacht verhaftet worden, auf die
Entscheidungen im Paarlaufen und Eistanzen eingewirkt zu haben.
"Bevor wir irgend eine Maßnahme ergreifen oder eine Sanktion aussprechen, benötigen wir mehr
Fakten", sagte IOC-Präsident Jacques Rogge.
In einem kurzfristig vereinbarten Treffen mit Bach hat Schily Hilfestellung zugesagt. Das IOC
möchte beim Verfahren in New York gegen Tochtachunow als Geschädigter eine Art
Nebenklägerstellung erhalten, zumindest Zugang zu sämtlichen Akten bekommen. Außerdem will
es über die Ermittlungsergebnisse europäischer Sicherheitsdienste informiert werden. Die Anklage
gegen Tochtachunow in New York basiert auf Abhörprotokollen von Europol.
Die Zusage Schilys umfasst auch vorbeugende Maßnahmen gegenüber der neuen Gefahr des
organisierten Verbrechens. Untersucht werden soll, ob und wie weit Kriminalität bereits auf den
Sport einwirkt. Das IOC will im Gegenzug den staatlichen Stellen alle Erkenntnisse weiter geben.
Der Bundesinnenminister habe sich "befriedigt über die Vorgehensweise des IOC geäußert", sagte
Bach.
Die Ermittlungen in Frankreich konzentrieren sich vor allem auf den suspendierten französischen
Präsidenten des Eislauf-Verbandes, Didier Gailhaguet. Die mögliche Schlüsselfigur des Skandals
fungierte in Salt Lake City auch als Chef de Mission des französischen Teams. (dpa).
Document sdkuri0020020805dy85000c6
106
Bach mahnt zur Wachsamkeit.
386 words 5 August 2002 Frankfurter Rundschau German (c) Copyright Frankfurter Rundschau
2002 www.fr-aktuell.de
R 4-24H
IOC-Vize trifft wegen Mafia-Enthüllungen um Eiskunstlauf Innenminister Schily und fordert alle
verfügbaren Informationen
Mit vereinten Kräften wollen Staat und Sport dem organisierten Verbrechen das Handwerk legen.
Darauf verständigten sich Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily und IOC-Vizepräsident Thomas Bach
bei einem Gipfeltreffen in Erlangen nach der Mafia-Affäre um die Eiskunstlauf-Wettbewerbe bei
den Olympischen Winterspielen in Salt Lake City. "Schnelle Aufklärung und Vorbeugung sind
unsere wichtigsten Ziele. Wir müssen wachsam sein", sagte Bach. Der Tauberbischofsheimer
warnte jedoch davor, eine olympische Sportart in Frage zu stellen. Nach einem Telefonat mit IOCPräsident Jacques Rogge sei eine mögliche Verbannung der Eiskunstläufer von Olympia schnell
vom Tisch gewesen.
Man dürfe nicht den Fehler machen und alle sauberen Athleten wegen der möglichen kriminellen
Verwicklungen Einzelner bestrafen, sagte Bach, der vor einer Panikmache warnt: "Das wäre der
absolut falsche Weg, zumal der Eislauf-Weltverband unabhängig von diesen Enthüllungen bereits
vorher Anstrengungen unternommen hat, die Einflussnahmen von außen schwieriger machen
sollen." Er sehe deshalb derzeit ebenso wie Rogge ("Diese Sportart ist sicher") keinen Ansatz,
Eiskunstlauf aus dem olympischen Programm zu nehmen.
Bach habe Schily bei dem Treffen in Erlangen gesagt, dass das IOC an allen Informationen
interessiert sei, um den Fall möglichst schnell und umfänglich aufzuklären. Der Innenminister habe
deshalb versprochen, seine internationalen Kontakte in Europa und besonders in den USA zu
nutzen, um das IOC rechtzeitig mit entsprechenden Informationen zu versorgen. Bach: "Schily will
sich gegebenenfalls auch dafür einsetzen, dass das IOC eine formelle Rechtsstellung in einem
möglichen Strafverfahren in den USA erhalten kann." Der IOC-Vizepräsident betonte, dass dieser
Fall "für alle eine völlig neue Dimension" darstelle. Um reinen Tisch zu machen, so Bach, brauche
man alle verfügbaren Informationen, egal, ob von Sportverbänden oder Sicherheitsbehörden. "Die
meisten Informationen haben im Augenblick FBI und Europol, und wenn wir den Fall auch auf der
sportlichen Seite aufklären wollen, benötigen wir diese Informationen. Wir müssen uns ein
umfassendes Bild machen können", sagte Bach.
Der unter Mafia-Verdacht stehende Russe Alimsan Tochtaschunow war am Mittwoch in Italien
verhaftet worden. Die Auswertung seiner vom FBI abgehörten Telefonate hatte ergeben, dass
offenbar sechs der insgesamt jeweils neun Preisrichter von Salt Lake City im Paarlauf und Eistanz
beeinflusst worden waren.
Bach sieht trotz der Enthüllungen keine Anzeichen dafür, dass bestimmte Sportarten bereits länger
von organisierter Kriminalität missbraucht werden. sid.
Document frarun0020020805dy85000h2
107
IX. 6/08/2002
Times Newspapers Sport
August 06, 2002
British official 'vindicated'
BY ANGELA COURT
SALLY-ANNE Stapleford, the British official who reported corrupt judging at the
Winter Olympics last February, says that she feels “vindicated” after the arrest in
Italy of Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, who was charged last week in the United States
of conspiring to fix skating competitions at the Games.
After the pairs event in Salt Lake City, Stapleford — who then chaired the figure
skating technical committee of the International Skating Union (ISU) — reported
that Marie-Reine Le Gougne, the French judge, had admitted being put under
pressure by Didier Gailhaguet, president of the French figure skating federation, to
place Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, of Russia, ahead of the superior
Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, of Canada.
Le Gougne told Stapleford that her actions were part of a judging deal with the
Russian federation to ensure that Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat, of
France, won the ice dance event. A second gold was later awarded to the
Canadian pair, and in April the two French officials received a three-year ban from
officiating at international events.
Le Gougne, who in the aftermath of the scandal changed her story to claim she
judged honestly and accused Stapleford of wanting to help the Canadians, still
denies any wrongdoing, as does Gailhaguet.
However, neither is appealing against the ban which additionally excludes them
from the 2006 Olympic Games.
Stapleford has steadfastly maintained that she told the truth concerning Le
Gougne’s confession. “I reported this to the ISU but, as the story grew and
changed, people began questioning my integrity,” she said. “It all got turned
around and some people thought I wasn’t telling the truth, while others said I
should have kept quiet. But how could I?” Russians now chair the figure and ice
dance technical committees of the ISU, something that does not sit well with some
other nations, and is now likely to cause further unrest, given last week’s
allegations that Tokhtakhounov used his influence with the Russian skating
federation concerning Olympic results.
Copyright 2002 Times Newspapers Ltd.
108
The Miami Herald
August 6, 2002, Tuesday
SECTION: SPORTS
KR-ACC-NO: K2043
LENGTH: 1134 words
HEADLINE: Russian officials say alleged mobster a braggart, not a skate fixer
BYLINE: By Michelle Kaufman
BODY:
MIAMI _ Russian sports officials say Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, the alleged Russian mobster
arrested on suspicion of trying to fix Olympic figure skating results, is nothing more than a card
shark, petty criminal and braggart. They say it is "out of the question" he had the clout to pull off a
vote-swapping deal at the Salt Lake City Olympics.
A decade of press reports and a recently purged Internet photo paint a different picture.
In newspapers from Moscow to London to New York, Tokhtakhounov has been portrayed as a
major crime kingpin and a mover and shaker in the Russian sports world. The 53-year-old has
been accused of selling illegal arms in the Middle East and has hobnobbed with tennis players
Andrei Medvedev, Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov; NHL All-Star and former Florida Panther
Pavel Bure; Russian national soccer team goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmatullin; and French ice dancer
Marina Anissina, the Russia-born Olympic gold medalist named in the criminal report as a
beneficiary of Tokhtakhounov's attempted fix.
When he was arrested last week in Italy, Tokhtakhounov was driving a Mercedes 5000 given to
him by Medvedev of Ukraine. Italian police said authorities have a document signed by Medvedev
confirming he gave Tokhtakhounov the car out of gratitude for help with his career. Medvedev's
official website featured a 1999 photograph of Tokhtakhounov with his arms around Medvedev,
Safin and Kafelnikov. The photo was removed sometime last Thursday.
Tokhtakhounov is a fixture at the French Open and other major tennis tournaments around France.
One of his close friends is Shamil Tarpishchev, head of the Russian Tennis Federation and former
private coach for president Boris Yeltsin.
"He Tokhtakhounov is a good friend of mine, but I'd rather talk about tennis right now," Kafelnikov
said last week in Toronto. "I'm sure this arrest is some kind of mistake."
Safin politely declined comment about Tokhtakhounov, admitting he knew him, but not wanting to
say more.
Tennis cover girl Anna Kournikova, asked by reporters in San Diego last week whether she knew
him, replied: "I have heard of this guy, but I don't think I should be talking about this. I'm sorry. I'm
Russian. I have to go back there." Pressed, and asked if he was a mobster, she said, "You could
put it that way."
In 1999, a lavish party was thrown in Paris to celebrate Tokhtakhounov's induction into the
knighthood of the international order of St. Cons-tantine, for his "self-sacrifice, chivalry and
philanthropy." Among the guests: Bure, Anissina, Russian Olympic Committee vice president
Aleksandr Kozlovski; and Russian singer Iosif Kobzon, who has been linked to the Russian mafia.
Bure is traveling in Europe and has been unavailable for comment since Tokhtakhounov's arrest.
Anissina admitted Monday she spoke with the suspect "from time to time" since meeting him in
1999, but scoffed at the suggestion her acquaintance with him had anything to do with the gold
medal she won with her partner, Gwendal Peizerat.
109
Tokhtakhounov, who spent most of the 1990s in France, is accused of trying to cozy up to French
officials and secure a French visa by pressuring Olympic skating judges to award the ice dancing
gold medal to the French couple. He allegedly tried to rig a deal whereby the French would win
dance in exchange for Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze winning pairs. Some
reports say Tokhtakhounov stood to benefit financially if Anissina won because he might have
received cuts from her professional appearance fees.
His lawyer says he will plead not guilty.
"It's a ridiculous affair," Anissina said, as Peizerat stood by her in a "Not Guilty" T-shirt. "I've only
seen things like this in American movies."
U.S. attorney James Comey said the case, based on wiretaps, indicates a "classic quid pro quo.
You line up support for the Russian pair, we'll line up support for the French pair and everyone will
go away with the gold, and perhaps there will be a little gold for me."
French judge Marie-Reine LeGougne initially said she was pressured to vote for the Russian pair,
whose victory over Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier caused an international uproar. She
later recanted her statement. She said last week she has never heard of, met, seen or spoken to
Tokhtakhounov.
Didier Gailhaguet, head of the French Skating Federation, said Monday that French authorities had
cautioned him against getting to know, Tokhtakhounov, who approached him in 2000 about
financing a Paris hockey team. Gailhaguet said Tokhtakhounov's secretary called him a few weeks
after their meeting asking for his help in obtaining a visa. He contacted authorities and they advised
him to sever ties.
Tokhtakhounov, better known in Russia by his nickname, Taivanchik (Little Taiwanese, given to
him because of his Asian appearance), was born in Uzbekistan to a pair of doctors. He was a
talented soccer player as a young man, and even made it to the Uzbekistan republic's first team.
He moved to Moscow in 1962, and began running in sports and entertainment circles, making a
living as a professional card player. He was arrested for petty crimes in the 1970s and 1980s, and
branded a "thief within the law," a euphemism for mobster. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he was
implicated in serious crimes ranging from arms dealing to drug trafficking and antique smuggling.
Among his closest friends was Lev Chernoi, the metal magnate who has been linked to organized
crime.
He left Russia around 1990, and bounced between Germany, France and Italy. Tokhtakhounov
remains a Russian citizen, but also has passports from Uzbekistan, France, Israel and Germany. In
1994, he was questioned by French police after Russian socialite Sergei Majarov was gunned
down in Paris. He also was implicated in an illegal arms deal with Angola, and was asked to leave
France.
In 1999, he moved to Italy, where he owned apartments in Rome and Milan and a villa in Tuscany.
Italian police said Tokhtakhounov was involved in a large money laundering ring through the
Cayman Islands. About $50 million was moved between 1996 and 2001, they said. "He is not the
chief of the group, but we believe he's near the top," said police spokesman Giovanni Mainolfi.
Russian Olympic Committee spokesman Gennady Shvets doubts the tales of Tokhtakhounov's
crimes. "He has a delusion of grandeur," Shvets said. "He could pick up a phone and tell his friends
something like, 'I arranged with the judges for two medals for our guys and made sure the
Canadians would come in second.' "
Major mobster or blowhard? Time will tell.
xxx
(The Moscow Times contributed to this report.)___
(c) 2002, The Miami Herald.
110
X. 07/08/2002
RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 6, No. 147, Part I, 7 August 2002
A daily report of developments in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, and
Central Asia.
This is Part I, a compilation of news concerning Russia, Transcaucasus, and Central Asia. Part II
covers Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe and is distributed simultaneously as a second
document.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Headlines, Part I
* REPUTED RUSSIAN MOBSTER TO CHALLENGE EXTRADITION
RUSSIA
REPUTED RUSSIAN MOBSTER TO CHALLENGE EXTRADITION... Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, the
reputed Russian mafia figure accused of rigging figure skating events at the Salt Lake City Winter
Olympic Games (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 and 2 August 2002), has refused his consent to be
extradited to the United States, Russian and Western news agencies reported on 6 August. "I want
to have the complete extradition procedure under Italian law," Tokhtakhunov's defense lawyer,
Luca Saldarelli, quoted him as saying, AP reported. Tokhtakhunov's decision to refuse voluntary
extradition means the case will likely be held up in the Italian judicial system for weeks. Meanwhile,
Tokhtakhunov received moral support from his friend and fellow businessman Mikhail Chernoi, who
told "Moskovskiye novosti" on 6 August, "I am confident that Tokhtakhunov could not have done
and did not try to do anything of this kind." Saldarelli has requested that Tokhtakhunov be allowed
to leave the Italian prison where he is being held and placed under house arrest. As of 6 August,
the United States had not filed a formal extradition request for Tokhtakhunov to face conspiracy
charges in a U.S. federal court. The request must be filed within 40 days of his 31 July arrest. MES
...AS FRENCH GOLD MEDALLIST DENIES COLLUSION... In a press conference in Arles on 5
August, Olympic ice dance champion Marina Anissina admitted that she knows Tokhtakhunov, but
denied any wrongdoing, AFP reported. "We spoke on the telephone now and then, but never about
anything related to our Olympic victory," the news agency quoted her as saying. "I'm sure this has
all been cooked up," she added. Anissina competes for France but is a native of Russia.
Meanwhile, French figure skating judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne, who was suspended for three
years by the International Skating Union for her role in the controversial decision to award the gold
medal to Russian pairs skaters Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 22 February 2002), has been contacted by the FBI for an interview in the case.
According to AFP on 6 August, her lawyer said no decision has yet been made regarding the
request. MES
111
...AND RUSSIAN SPORTS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION. Vyacheslav
Fetisov said at a Moscow press conference on 6 August that "experts have to look into this case
and provide their assessment on whether unfair judging actually took place at these competitions,"
Interfax reported. However, Fetisov said that the investigation should only center on the pairs
competition because the ice dance event is more subjective. "[In ice dancing,] a judge chooses
whether he likes a performance or not," Fetisov said. Meanwhile, AP reported on 6 August that
Russian Figure Skating Federation President Valentin Piseev told Ekho Moskvy radio, "I have
never seen [Tokhtakhunov], have never spoken to him, and I do not know anything about him
except for the information that appeared in the Russian press." MES
Copyright (c) 2002 RFE/RL, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
112
XI. 8/08/2002
RFE/RL Crime and Corruption Watch
Vol. 2, No. 28, 8 August 2002
Reporting on Organized Crime and Corruption in the former
USSR, East Europe, and the Middle East
*****************************************
HEADLINES:
* REPUTED RUSSIAN MOBSTER AT CENTER OF ALLEGATIONS THAT
OLYMPIC EVENTS WERE RIGGED
*****************************************
RUSSIA
REPUTED RUSSIAN MOBSTER ARRESTED IN OLYMPIC FIGURE-SKATING SCANDAL... U.S.
federal prosecutors announced on 31 July the arrest in Italy earlier that day of reputed crime boss
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov for allegedly fixing the ice-dance and pairs figure-skating competitions at
the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games in February, Russian and Western news agencies
reported. According to investigators, Tokhtakhunov used his influence with the French and Russian
skating federations to pressure a French judge to vote for Russia's Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze in the pairs event in exchange for a Russian vote for France's Marina Anissina and
Gwendal Peizerat in the ice-dance competition. Both teams won gold medals in their respective
competitions, although the scandal that erupted over the pairs decision led the International
Olympic Committee to award a second gold medal in the event to Canada's Jamie Sale and David
Pelletier (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 February 2002 and "End Note," "RFE/RL Newsline," 8 March
2002). (Mike Scollon)
...IMPLICATING RUSSIAN, FRENCH SKATING ASSOCIATIONS. U.S. Attorney James Comey
described the scheme as a "classic quid pro quo: 'You'll line up support for the Russian pair, we'll
line up support for the French pair and everybody will go away with the gold, and perhaps there'll
be a little gold for me,'" AP reported on 31 July. Tokhtakhunov, a 49-year-old Russian citizen who
was born in Uzbekistan, reportedly sought to gain a visa to return to France, where he had been
living until he was forced to relocate to Italy, while the beleaguered French national ice-hockey
program would get $1 million, according to AP. Evidence listed in the complaint filed in the
Manhattan federal court on 31 July includes transcripts of wire-tapped conversations between
Tokhtakhunov and an unidentified Russian ice-skating official; between Tokhtakhunov and a
"female ice dancer," presumably Anissina; and between the ice dancer's mother and
Tokhtakhunov, who is also known by the nickname "the Taiwanese." The transcripts also implicate
French Ice Skating Federation President Didier Gailhaguet. "The Canadians were 10 times better
and, in spite of that, the French with their vote gave us first place," the unidentified Russian official
was quoted as telling Tokhtakhunov after the pairs event, AFP reported. (Mike Scollon)
TOKHTAKHUNOV, RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DENY WRONGDOING IN OLYMPICS SCANDAL.
According to AP, after meeting with his client at an Italian prison on 2 August, Tokhtakhunov lawyer
Luca Saldarelli said: "He's absolutely surprised. He doesn't know anything about the Salt Lake City
113
Olympic Games. He's not even a fan of figure skating." On 1 August, Italian police released
transcripts of wiretapped telephone conversations "in which the suspect indicates that six judges
might have been involved," according to police Colonel Giovanni Mainolfi. ITAR-TASS reported on
2 August that the Italian police had been tracking Tokhtakhunov for allegedly transferring $50
million from the Bank of New York to offshore accounts from 1996-2001. Russian Olympic
Committee (ROC) spokesman Gennadii Shvets told AP on 2 August that the charges against
Tokhtakhunov are "absolutely stupid" and as "funny as a cartoon." On 2 August, French Skating
Federation President Didier Gailhaguet denied having any "contact direct or indirect, either before,
during, or after the Olympic Games with Mr. Tokhtakhunov concerning the events in question" but
did say he met with Tokhtakhunov in the spring of 2000 to discuss the Russian's proposal to
sponsor a Paris hockey club. (Mike Scollon)
TOKHTAKHUNOV TO CHALLENGE EXTRADITION... Tokhtakhunov has refused his consent to
be extradited to the United States, Russian and Western news agencies reported on 6 August. "I
want to have the complete extradition procedure under Italian law," Tokhtakhunov's defense
lawyer, Luca Saldarelli, quoted him as saying, AP reported. Tokhtakhunov's decision to refuse
voluntary extradition means the case will likely be held up in the Italian judicial system for weeks.
Meanwhile, Tokhtakhunov received moral support from his friend and fellow businessman Mikhail
Chernoi, who told "Moskovskiye novosti" on 6 August, "I am confident that Tokhtakhunov could not
have done and did not try to do anything of this kind." Saldarelli has requested that Tokhtakhunov
be allowed to leave the Italian prison and placed under house arrest. As of 6 August, the United
States had not filed a formal extradition request for Tokhtakhunov to face conspiracy charges in a
U.S. federal court. The request must be filed within 40 days of his 31 July arrest. (Mike Scollon)
...AS FRENCH GOLD MEDALLIST DENIES COLLUSION... In a press conference in Arles on 5
August, Olympic ice-dance champion Anissina admitted that she knows Tokhtakhunov but denied
any wrongdoing, AFP reported. "We spoke on the telephone now and then, but never about
anything related to our Olympic victory," the news agency quoted her as saying. "I'm sure this has
all been cooked up," she added. Anissina competes for France but is a native of Russia.
Meanwhile, French figure skating judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne, who was suspended for three
years by the International Skating Union for her role in the controversial decision to award the gold
medal to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze, has been contacted by the FBI for an interview in the case.
According to AFP on 6 August, her lawyer said no decision has yet been made regarding the
request. (Mike Scollon)
...AND RUSSIAN SPORTS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION. Vyacheslav
Fetisov said at a Moscow press conference on 6 August that "experts have to look into this case
and provide their assessment on whether unfair judging actually took place at these competitions,"
Interfax reported. However, Fetisov said that the investigation should only center on the pairs
competition because the ice-dance event is more subjective. "[In ice dancing,] a judge chooses
whether he likes a performance or not," Fetisov said. Meanwhile, AP reported on 6 August that
Russian Figure Skating Federation President Valentin Piseev told Ekho Moskvy radio, "I have
never seen [Tokhtakhunov], have never spoken to him, and I do not know anything about him
except for the information that appeared in the Russian press." (Mike
Scollon)
Copyright (c) 2002. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
114
• LE MONDE
• MIS A JOUR LE 09.08.02 | 12h31
XII. 9/08/02
Un ancien lutteur russe s'invite dans l'affaire de Salt
Lake City
L'interlocuteur d'Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov au sein de la délégation russe aux
Jeux d'hiver pourrait être Chevalier Noussouev, un ancien sportif originaire du
Daghestan reconverti dans les affaires.
Moscou, de notre correspondante
Est-ce lui, l'homme par qui le scandale est arrivé lors des Jeux olympiques de Salt Lake
City ? Chevalier Noussouev, citoyen russe originaire du Daghestan, portant, à
l'étonnement même de la presse russe, "un étrange prénom" à consonance française, a
décidé de sortir de sa réserve pour tenter de se disculper.
Cet ancien lutteur au nez cassé, âgé de 32 ans, est soupçonné d'être l'intermédiaire
agissant au profit de Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, le ressortissant russe arrêté le 31 juillet
en Italie, à la demande des autorités américaines, qui l'accusent d'avoir orchestré la
falsification des résultats des compétitions de patinage artistique aux Jeux de Salt Lake.
Selon les écoutes téléphoniques transmises par la police italienne au FBI et publiées
jeudi 8 août par L'Equipe, un certain "Chevalier", qui se trouvait alors à Salt Lake City
en tant que membre de la délégation russe, aurait échangé avec Tokhtakhounov les
propos suivants, le 12 février 2002, après la victoire des Russes dans l'épreuve de
couples : "Nos Français m'ont agréablement surpris. (...) Tout ira bien, parce que les
Français ont, avec leurs voix, fait de ce couple des champions. (...) Les Canadiens
étaient dix fois meilleurs, les Français nous ont donné la première place avec leur vote.
(...) Tout se passe comme tu en as besoin."Plus tard, Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov déclare
à une interlocutrice : "Nous allons faire de Marina une championne olympique. Hier, les
Français ont aidé pour le patinage en couples. Même si elle tombe, on fera en sorte
qu'elle soit la première."Dans un entretien publié mercredi 7 août par le quotidien
moscovite Novié Izvestia, Chevalier Noussouev ne nie pas qu'il ait pu tenir les propos
qui lui sont prêtés. Mais il affirme que tout cela aurait résulté d'une soirée trop arrosée !
"Supposons que cette conversation a eu lieu, a-t-il expliqué, en quoi est-ce que ça les
concerne [les services secrets occidentaux], ce que peuvent se dire deux moujiks [gars]
saoûls ? Je suis en Amérique, je m'asseois dans un restaurant avec de la compagnie, je
parle avec quelqu'un au téléphone. D'ailleurs je n'ai appelé moi-même personne.
Simplement, quelqu'un que je connais me passe l'appareil et me demande de parler. Je
ne savais même pas si je parlais avec Moscou, avec Léningrad, avec l'Italie, avec
l'Amérique elle-même. On me demande : comment se sont passés les Jeux
Olympiques ? Je raconte comment l'Amérique est belle, comment se passent les
compétitions. C'était un simple échange de propos. Qui était mon interlocuteur, je ne
sais pas. Parce que quand on te donne l'écouteur, demander qui parle, ce n'est pas
correct."
115
XIII. 13/08/2002
Russian mob craves power, expert says.
BEVERLEY SMITH
718 words
13 August 2002
The Globe and Mail Metro S2
English
"All material Copyright (c) Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved."
To some, it makes perfect sense that alleged Russian mobster Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov may have
dabbled in the outcome of Olympic skating events, all for an extension of his French visa.
Not for money, police say. For what, really?
Organized crime in Russia, akin to the Mafia, was born out of a Soviet "connive-to-survive attitude"
fostered by a state-run economy with shortages and therefore widespread bribery and thievery,
according to James Finchenauer and Elin Waring, authors of Russian Mafia in America.
In Russian society, power is based on who you know and what influence you may wield, said
RCMP Inspector Glenn Hanna of a combined forces special enforcement unit that examines
Russian mob influence.
"If you were seen to be involved with people with power, people then assumed that you had
power," he said. "And there's always this search for a patina of respectability. And it shows they
have influence and connections at high levels."
Tokhtakhounov surrounded himself with well-known Russian and Ukrainian athletes such as
professional tennis players Andrei Medvedev, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. He also
socialized with famous Russian singers.
"They are chaotic, very devious, practically genetically so," said Eric Morse, a sports consultant
who has worked in Russia and once toured with the Kirov ballet in the United States as an
assistant manager. "They often do things without knowing why they do them."
Morse knew Valentin Sych, who was shot to death after trying to stamp out corruption in the
Russian hockey federation. He was also witness to an incredible scene in the early 1990s when a
couple of young Russian ballerinas decided to defect in the United States, although they unwittingly
attempted it at a time when defection wasn't really necessary anymore.
The act, however, ignited the ire of the ballet's artistic director, who abducted them and was about
to send them back to the Russian gulags when police stopped them.
116
A report quoted the Washington chief of police saying it became clear after interviewing all of the
principals that none had any idea why they were doing what they were doing.
Hanna said the Eastern European groups do not have defined structures or hierarchies like other
organized crime groups. Some groups have a strict hierarchy, while others are more fluid, with
smaller groups banding together for a specific purpose.
However, it allows the organized crime groups to adapt readily. The Russian mobsters quickly
became involved in fuel tax scams in the United States, but because it was "the traditional
playground of the Gotti [Gambino] family, they started paying tribute to the traditional groups,"
Hanna said.
"The traditional groups thought this was just great. They were showing respect. But it wasn't that. It
was just the price of doing business. It was cheaper to pay the other group to have peace and let
the money come in than go to war with them."
Tokhtakhounov is said to belong to the Solsnetskaia organization, the most powerful organization
of all, and named for the Moscow suburb where it originated.
One of its crime bosses sent his soldiers all over the world, but he decided to go to Israel, a popular
residence among Russian mobsters because of its open-door policy for Russian Jews seeking
refuge. They are thought to use Israel as a base for laundering illegal funds.
In 1997, an alleged Russian mob boss was arrested in Israel on charges of murder and fraud.
Grigory Lerner was suspected of trying to buy political influence and even seeking appointment as
an Israeli cabinet minister. The charges against him included defrauding Russian banks of more
than $75-million, organizing the murder of a Russian banker and attempting other murders and
falsifying his documents to get Israeli citizenship.
Like Tokhtakhounov, Lerner was known in Russian immigrant circles as a generous benefactor.
Tokhtakhounov also has an Israeli passport.
Organized crime existed quietly before demise of the Soviet Union, then afterward became a major
force in the political, business and economic life of Eastern European countries.
One RCMP investigator described what happened to the Soviet mob after the country broke up. "It
was like watching kids in a candy store that had never been in one before," the officer said.
Document glob000020020813dy8d00031
117

The “Alimzan Tokhtakhounov” – File Press Review

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