Olympic movement can’t stay immune from corruption: Bach

LIMA: International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach defended his organisation’s handling of corruption allegations on Monday, insisting the movement could never make itself immune from scandal.

IOC, which is gathering in Lima to award the 2024 and 2028 Olympics to Paris and Los Angeles on Wednesday

Top Brazilian official Carlos Nuzman was arrested by police last week, accused of involvement in a scam to funnel cash to IOC members. It followed earlier revelations in France about a similar plot involving the 2013 vote in Buenos Aires which awarded the 2020 games to Tokyo.

However Bach stressed on Monday that the IOC had acted promptly to deal with allegations as they emerged.

“Credibility for us is extremely important,” Bach said. “We have taken a series of measures with regard to good governance. We have changed the candidature procedure. This does not make us immune. No organisation in the world is immune. No law is so perfect that it cannot be broken. There are laws against fraud and theft for centuries and they are still being broken. It does not make us immune. But we feel have done what we can do.”

Bach said lawyers for the IOC’s Ethics Commission had contacted Brazilian authorities hoping to obtain further details about the Nuzman case.

“We are following up on everything that has been provided or will be provided by the judicial authorities,” he said.

“Once evidence is there we will act and we will be in a position to make recommendations in this respect.”

Credibility for us is extremely important, We have taken a series of measures with regard to good governance. We have changed the candidature procedure THOMAS BACH, On IOC’s procedure