IWF President embezzles Azerbaijan’s half million

Forty doping positives were covered up when Tamás Aján was the president of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Report informs, citing Inside the Games.

Some of those athletes, who were defended by Hungarian functionary in exchange for a bribe, became even world champions and won medals in international competitions. This information was later to the World Anti-Doping Agency for investigation.

According to the Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, who led the investigation, $10.4 million, received by IWF, was unaccounted for. The largest fine recorded in the Report was $500,000 paid by Azerbaijan.

These funds were transferred to the IWF after nine lifters were caught doping last year. However, this is not included in the Report. Moreover, on one trip to Thailand for a competition and conference, Ajan collected more than $440,000 across 18 cash payments.

The functionary is also accused of giving bribes to authorized persons to win the presidential elections. There is also a claim that some members of the Executive Board earned their places through bribes.

Rejecting accusations about him, Tamás Aján said the financial issues are managed by the Board of Directors legally. He stressed that he always had respected laws, written and unwritten rules, principles of the sport. The Hungarian functionary also blamed McLaren for not informing him enough to answer the accusations.

Because of the abovementioned facts, Tamás Aján was dismissed from the post of IWF President in mid-April.