Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday August 2 2002 — A7 Skating Union inquiry that resulted in Le Gougne’s sus-pension Another curious theory to explain some of die shenanigans was put forth by an attorney who represents pairs referee Rem Pfenning and international judge Jon Jack-so- n They were key witnesses against Le Gougne during die ISU investigation and at the hearing in Lausanne Switzerland where she and Gailhaguet were banned fin three years plus the 2006 Games After Tblditakhounov’s arrest the attorney Benjamin Kaplan said Pfenning mid Jackson want to see a wider investigation by the ISU into figure skating corruption “I'm pleased because obviously there were a lot of suspicions that it wasn’t die French alone that the Russians were deeply involved and this confirms it” Kaplan Thin Continued from A5 boss could be bo dumb as to risk his Career for acouple of gold medals and a visa The attorney for the French judge in the middle of the Olympic scandal Marie-ReiLe Gougne tells an interesting story Amid the uproar in Salt Lake City in February an FBI agent quietly sought out Le Gougne to ask if she knew a Russian mobster who lived in die south of France Hie 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 Gailh-agu-et and Tokhtakhounov: If Gailhaguet fixed the pairs event Tokhtakhounov would give $1 million to the French hockey team “It pounds like science fie- don to me" Le Gougne’s attorney Erik Christiansen ne Profile Police Col Giovanni Main-ol- fi said the money originated at the Bank of New York was transferred to a company called Azimut Ltd in the Cayman Islands and then to Russian citizens About $50 million was moved in this fashion from 1996 to 2001 he said Mainolfi said the money trail led to Tokhtakhounov but would give no further details Judging controversy: Reputed about feat aspect of the invesRussian- crime boss Alimzan tigation Ibkhtakhounov was arrested in He did say that Italy on Wednesday on charges Ibkhtakhounov belonged to a of scheming to get French ice criminal organization operatskating judge Marie Rekie Le around Moscow wife Gougne above to vote for the ing Russian team in the pairs com- about 3000 members “He is not the chief of this petition at the Winter Olympic in Lake Sait group” Mainolfi said “but City games we believe he’s near the top” sequined blouse clashes with Tokhtakhounov's lawyer his partner’s mauve feathers Luca Salvarelli who had spoand who should be paid off to ken with his client’s family help them win - “Just like men in power used to have ballerinas in Russia now die thing is to have champion skaters or other champions in other sports The Russian mafia is deep into sport” It’s a frightening thought: Russian mobsters sipping vodka while debating whether a skater’s turquoise scar-fac- all charges Continued from AS said told die agent Why anyone would want to give $1 million to the French hockey team is as unfathomable as why anyone would want to fix ice dancing But with all the looney cartoon characters in this evolving tale anything’s possible In the official version Tokhtakhounov “arranged a classic quid pro quo: 'You’ll line up support for the Russian pair we’ll fine: up support for tiie French pair and everybody will go away wife the gold and perhaps there’ll be a little gold for me’” US Attorney but not with Ibkhtakhounov said the suspect would deny The suspect “arranged a charges and fight extradition said his lawyer Luca Salvarel-- li who had not yet met with his client International Skating Union president Ottavio Cinquanta was on vacation and not reachable for comment his Milan business office said A left for him was not returned ISU headquarters in Lau sanne Switzerland Were closed Thursday for a Swiss v i holiday The accusations against ' Ibkhtakhounov were derided as a “funny fantasy” better srnted for a movie Russian Olympic Committee spokesman Gennady Shvets said Thursday hvetssaidl group and SB - gested fee charges may have resulted from fee suspect’s propensity for boasting I “He may be a fan but die fact feat he could not have y influenced results is absolutely certain” Ite said Wiretaps used in a mob y investigation captured a of telephone calls between Ibkhtakhounov in Italy and A unnamed CODSpintOn during fee games feat “lay out a pat ? tern of conduct that connects those two events” Coney v : " ‘ : v‘ : ' ' : : ' : ' " : V A- crime But Shvets also said' Tokhtakhounov has a propensity for bluster and bragging that could have led to the accusations "It's bravado” he said “These people like to talk big about what they can do" Cache Democrats Big CD Party Saturday August 3 2002 Starting at 6:30 PM 1254 Island Drive Logan g 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 wife the gold and perhaps there’ll be a little gold for me’” US Attorney James Comey said Ibkhtakhounov is expected to plead innocent to all 'V Andrei Medvedev whose Web site features a 1999 picture of himself wife Tokhtakhounov along wife Russian tennis stars Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov “He’s very close to Medvedev” Mainolfi said though he did not speculate on the nature of the relationship Medvedev could not be reached for comment Thurs ecm? c37Tpyrp ° erovr-Q- Continued from A1 said sports figures Italian police gave few details but they did cite Ukrainian tennis player RSVP Fix ‘f ice-ska- Russian Olympic Committee spokesman Gennady Shvets said Ibkhtakhounov was a former sportsman playing professionally in Uzbekistan and briefly in Russia in his youth before the collapse of the Soviet Union Shvets said he has known Tokhtakhounov for a decade He said he often spends time with Russian tennis players and enjoys hanging out wife Russian and former Soviet show business stars — a world reputed to be rife wife Potluck - bring a dish to share with your friends neighbors & candidates ed James Comey said quoting conversations heard through wiretaps Prosecutors said Ibkhtakhounov hoped he would be rewarded wife a visa to return to France whore he once lived Seems like a lot of trouble for a visa After meeting wife fee FBI agent during the games Christiansen spoke wife Le Gougne about Tokhtakhounov “She never heard of him she’d never met wife him she’d never seen him she’d never spoken wife him” Christiansen said The FBI never approached Le Gougne again and Ibkhtakhounov’s name didn’t come up at fee International ' “He claims he is innocent" Salvarelli said Police say that during wiretaps in the Russian mafia investigation they uncovered tdetails of the alleged ing fix as well as ties to other day : t " a'1 “ ' - ' ry- to Joyce Q 752-921- 4 |