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Show AS The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH/WORLD Friday, January 29, 1999 IOC Drug Chief Hints Scandal May Be a Plot Subpoenas Sent To Utah Players In Games Probe Hesays many would conspire to oust Samaranch ‘THE ASSOCIATEDPRESS BRUSSELS, Belgium — A se- linked to the Salt Lake bid. Three others remain under investigation. In other developments: @ Nagano’s winning bid for the nior IOCofficial said Thursday that the bribery scandal rocking the Olympics had beenblown out of proportion and there was no focus of the investigation into the eee Olympic corruption scan- reason for IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch to apologize. Prince Alexandre de Merode, chairman of the International Olympic Committee medical commission, also suggested the “underlying” reason for the controversy was a plot to oust ie Japanese Olympic Committee on Thursday appointed a seven-member panelto look into the Naganoefforts after Mayor Tasuku Tsukada said there may “have been “excesses” in the city’s dealings with IOC members. In recent weeks, Nagano offi- Samaranc! “[The scandal] was given too much importance,” de Merode, a former 10Cvice president, said in cials have disclosed how some IOC officials were wooed during the city’s bid, including all-ex- an interview. “There was the impression that the IOClookedlike the worst gangof thieves.” He describedthe affair ‘very much exaggerated” and said po- litical motives might be involved. penses-paid trips to Kyoto, a tourist spot 150 miles from Nagano. Some IOC officials also were entertained by geisha, and IOC “Perhaps there were other underlying reasons, that people expensive painting and Japanese President Samaranchreceived an wanted to see [Samaranch] sword. leave,” de Merodesaid. Tsukada, the Nagano mayor whoalso was one ofthe top offi- “There are candidates for his position cials of the bidding committee, on and not a few. There can also be political movements that think the IOChas takena real and fi- Monday acknowledged ‘‘ex cesses” in his city’s bid. Nagano bid officials have said they wined and dined the 62visiting 10Cofficials, spending about $18,000 on nancial power which is abnormal and out of the control of politi- cians.” Hedid not elaborate. each IOC official, including air fare Elected in 1980, Samaranch has rejected calls outside the organization for his resignation. He said Nagano’s bidding expense re- cords are missing, which could heintendstoretire after complet- complicate the investigation. A ing his term in 2001 A bribery scandal centering on bid official said recently he had has plunged the International Olympic Committee into the worst crisis of its 105-year histo- PresidentBill Hybl said he had no the books burnedin 1992 the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games. U.S. Olympic Committee plans to discuss possible changes in the [OC at a USOC executive committee meeting next month. Responding to a New York Nine IOC membershave so far resigned or been ousted in con- Timesarticle that the USOC was exploring ideas about restructuring the international committee, nection with $800,000 in payments, gifts and other favors dent Dave Johnson, who had long Sibou earned bachelor’s and mas- ter's degrees from the university. The Justice Department also wants Sibou’s employment re- cordsfrom Salt Lake City, where he wasanintern. City Attorney Roger Cutler met with Justice prosecutors this week after receiving a letter asking for Sibou’s personnel files. Prosecutors requested additional information from thecity; Cutler agreed to cooperate, but askedfor the request in writing — likely in the form of subpoenas — that havenotyet ar- A senior Chinese Olympic of- ficial called for stripping Sydney of the 2000 Games. Chinese Olympic Committee honorary President He Zhenliang was quoted as saying he was “extremely furi- rived. One U. subpoenaalso asks for admission and financial records TRIBUNE The proprietorsof a defunctSalt Lake City escort service say their escorts entertained International Olymp’ “ommittee members at downtown hotels while they were visiting Utah in the spring of 1995. Rumorsof the escort-IOC link have persist- ed throughout the bid and organizing efforts for the Games. The rumors reached Utah Gov MikeLeavitt in 1997, although those affiliated with the bid committee or the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) have vigorously de- nied providing escorts for IOC members. George andMilena Georgi v, Bulgarianciti- zens who immigrated to Salt Lake Cityin 1991 and opened Snow White Escort Services in 1993, told TheSalt Lake Tribunethat two es- corts working for them performed stripteases — legal in Salt Lake City under ordinances restricting the amount of nudity — for IOC horado werestudents at the U. Richard Pound, an IOC vice The subpoena appearsto link Soukhorado with Vitaly Smirnov, president from Canada, said he might choose notto take part in reviewing bids from Toronto and Quebec if a worldwide sweep for evidence of wrongdoing in hostcity voting turns up anything involving those two cities. @The oldest living Olympic champion said he was “appalled” bythe scandal, but has confidence the spirit of the Games will be preserved. Leon Stukelj, who turned 100 in November,said the blamefalls on IOC members involved in the bribery allegations. of business weare, wetry to keep the records mostly confidential,” Milena Georgievsaid Federalinvestigators probingallegations of bribery and fraud in Salt Lake City’s bid to win the 2002 Winter Olympics have sought escort records from several sources, including the Salt Lake County Attorney's Office, es- cort-service owners and attorneys representing the escorts. an IOC member from Russia who was implicated by the IOC as someone they are investigating for “benefits received by third parties.” Prosecutorsare seeking any re- cords that may indicate Smirnov paid or was chargedby the U. for tuition, supplies, room or board for Soukhorado.It is not known if the two are related. Bold Magvan worked for First Security Bank while in Salt Lake City. On Sunday, IOC board members meeting in Lausanne, Swit- The attorneys have refused. “The industry resents the presumption that it’s dirty or prostitution, and besides, they have an ethical duty to protect the privacy and identity of their clients,” said Salt Lake City attorney Stephen Cook. “We told the FBI we will resist any subpoena on our business. If they choose to subpoena ourrecords, we will go to court to fight that.” Tom Welch and Dave Johnson, the top two officials of the bid committee, have strongly denied that the committee provided escorts to IOC members. An alternative explanation is the IOC members sought the company of an maintained « bank account also controlled by the top official of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, according to people with anie Pate. The new information on Ganga’s ties to Welch emerged as in- and its predecessor bid committee; and Welch’s secretary, Steph- pulsion in the bribery scandal knowledge of the account vestigators are exploring whether Salt Lake Olympicofficials paid name bribes to Ganga and other IOC ‘The account was knownby the “Claudette,” an apparent members to capture the Winter Gamesfor 2002 reference to Jean-Claude Ganga, an IOC member from the Repub Vowing lie of Congo. Ganga, according to to which was rec a recent IOC report, received fight his from the organizing committee without going through SLOC,” The signatories on the Clau- maintained at the First Security Bankin Salt LakeCity, In a report Sunday, the IOC said Ganga de posited $70,010 from SLOC into that account. Asked why Welch’s name was on theaccount, Schaffer said that in the event Ganga was out of the d by the + $39.99 for 1400 minutes Welch could © Canlift 16 lb. Bowling ball yet + No annual contract or activation fee with Sprint PCS.” ue Sprint Sprint PCS [Qa romeseven MURRAY 236 & 6400S. 269-9400 SANDY Sour Towne MALL 495-2600 BOUNTIFUL 129 W 500 5. 295-1000 PROVO o ition, said BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins. The bid committee WRESTLING SHOES All Leather It is not known if Magvan re- ceived medical treatment.It is not known whoBiyendolois. “The list is mostly people I’ve never heard of. [Justice attorneys] are just casting a wide net,” said John Morris, general counsel at the U. “We are cooperating fully in this investigation. We are not withholding anything and are trying to get themthe information as quickly as possible.” Federal prosecutors also want the U. to provide contracts and negotiation records with SLOC for athlete housing and the open- ing and closing ceremoniesfor the 2002 Olympics, scheduledto take place in Rice Stadium. And they want copies of ali communication between the U. and the bid committee, SLOC, SLOC’s attorneys, chief financial officers, Welch, Johnson, Joklik and Robert Garff, who replaced Joklik as SLOC chairman.Garffis also a memberof the Utah Board of Regents. “Nobody has accused the university of wrongdoing — nobody from anyplace,” Morris said. ‘We are only a witness. Our own inves- tigation has not disclosed any instance of special treatment ac- corded to a student because of any Olympics connection.” DUMBBELL HANDLES 16 inch solid cold steelbar. Reg. 49.00 [vsqgee Disease HEX-STYLE Basketball Jerseys /;/ Closeout! Reversible Tricot Mesh \\ Jersey 7 45-60-85-95= CO Large Size Your Choice sss| SNK 9 |b Abovesizes only AB Roller Easiest & Best Wayto Flatten Your WC Clay Sold on TV for $79 Baggy Pants CLOSEOUT eleTMTa ummy " Naemar ty ED'S ATHLETIC SUPPLY bn) 928 So. 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He said in 1992 Ganga had advanced Welch $1,000 while the Salt Lake official was in Africa weighs only 4 Ibs, © Air blows as well as most Nextel rate plans.” your wireless phoneyouronly phone.” mittee. The bid committee paid Hospital, Dr. Rendall Olson an- FREE WITH ORECK XL PURCHASE: COMPACT CANISTER! + 200 Extra Minutes on + AT&T Digital One Rate. Make gram from the Salt Lake bid com- Moran Eye Center at University d/or Dr. Richard Anderson. funds for him from the account. However, Schaffer said, Welch told him he had never madea deposit in, or withdrawal from, the account haffer also confirmed that Wel h and Ganga had engaged in TWO DAYS ONLY FRIDAY, JAN. 29 AND SATURDAY,JAN. 30 ’ with VoiceStream Wireless. country, ORECK XL lawyer who represents Welch, ALL THE WHEIRELESS ANSWERS UNDER ONE ROOF 4 He said Welch believed the count was the same one Ganga Thomas Schaffer, a Salt Lake earn university credit. Suhel Attarabulsi received scholarships to attend UVSC and the BYU pro- memberfrom Congo whois resisting an IOCcall for his ouster. Did somebodyelse doit, maybe, but I have no information of that. Maybe an escort service went out and sought some of these people, signatory on the checking ac count, along with GangaandPate ouster, owned BYUforthree semesters. Students in the program do not “I asked Tom specifically if he knew anything. He said, ‘Absolutely not, not on my watch,” " said Welch attorney Tom Schaffer. confirmed that his client was a 10C, Gangahas maintainedhisinnocence. $216,000 in gifts and payments known as SLOC. tice probe are Brigham Young University in Provo and Utah Valley State College in Orem. Each school received subpoenas seeking transcripts for Suhel Attarabulsi, son of Libyan IOC member Bashir Attarabulsi, who resigned last Friday. BYU and UVSChaveprevious- escort alone, and at their own discretion IOC Member Ganga, Welch Shared Salt Lake City Bank Account With $70,000 Depositedin It LakeCity, included Ganga; Thom- doing. Other schoolslinked to the Jus- whether Bold Magvan or Souk- eral. State prosecutors continue to investigate the Georgievs for alleged prostitution and moneylaundering. The Georgievs maintain theyare innocent “The girls tell us these things, but the type as Welch, former president and chief executive officer of SLOC of any bribes, resigned and former bid and organizing committee president Tom Welch was stripped of his $10,000-a-month consulting contract and pension. Welch also has denied any wrong- present at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. with investigators for the Utah attorney gen- dette account, established in Salt Joklik, who said he was unaware and 1996, when Salt Lake City wasactively lobbying for theright to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. Hewas enrolled in the English Language Center at LDS Church- raid in 1997. Those records are now housed WASHINGTON — AnInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) member, now under threat of ex. Ganga and his mother received medical services from the John A. lia, and Ekaterina Soukhorado, a woman neverbefore mentioned in association with the bribes-forbid scandal. It is not known @ The headof the IOC investi- on cases of bid cities that could The Georgievs could not immediately confirm who paidfor the escorts, or how the oneon-one shows were arranged. Records from Snow White were confiscated by Salt Lake City vice detectives during a Valentine’s Day USA TODAY dents were put on administrative leave pending completion of the investigations. Johnson has denied any wrongdoing. The same day Johnson resigned, SLOC President Frank gation of Olympic corruption said he might consider stepping aside ments. medical records and surgical di- agnosis for Pauline Biyendolo, Shagdarjav Magvan and JeanClaude Ganga, the imperiled IOC ly acknowledged Suhel Attarabulsi was enrolled between 1995 officials. IN On Jan. 8, Senior Vice Presi- copy of the endorsement. Besides student-related documents, the U. subpoenas seek beeninvolvedin thebid effort, resigned and two senior vice presi- for Bold Magvan, the secondyoungest son of Shagdarjav Magvan, an IOC memberfrom Mongo- ous” about the $70,000 induce- Former S.L. Escort Owners Say They Entertained IOC Members BYGREGB © 1999, THE SALT Li Salt Lake's bid committee spent District Court. Prosecutors have soughtspecif- Swaziland who resigned Sunday. includingterm limits and outside elections, Hybl said any action by the American panel would have to wait until the completion of a report on Salt Lake by its ethics commission, led by former Senate Majority leader George Mitchell. Hybl also contradicted a Times report that he wanted Samaranch to resign. “That is not an area we have speculated on,” he said. to complete an application form, provide acopyof his passport and receive an “ecclesiastical endorsement” from a religious official. Prosecutors have asked for a The IOC investigation found nearly $800,000 on 14 IOC members, including medical care, scholarships, lavish gifts, travel expenses and cash payments. ic documents relatingto the appli- Prince Alexandre de Merode To gain admittance to the program, Suhel Attarabulsi needed namewas notonthelist. @ Continued from A-1 cation for admission andfinancial support at the U. for Sibou Sibandze, the son of David Sibandze, an IOC member from 1998 Winter Gamesis the latest zerland, moved to expel six mem- scandal. Shagdarjav Magvan’s bers linked to the Salt Lake 578 E. OREM University Pkway 426-5302 LAYTON 787 W. Antelope Dr 77 5 passenger laciiny charger 0 r 22s dependon ter ety |
