The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has requested the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) provide information on the status of president Suresh Kalmadi following his release from prison last week.
After serving a nine-month sentence Kalmadi was released on bail having been arrested in April 2011 on charges of inflating tenders worth millions of dollars for equipment used at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. While Kalmadi has been suspended from India’s ruling Congress party he is still listed as IOA president – a matter the IOC is keen to clear up.
“The IOC sent a letter to the IOA asking for a full and official report on the exact current situation of Mr Kalmadi before the courts of justice,” an IOC official said, according to Reuters. “The IOC asked the IOA to ensure the respect of the principles and rules of the IOC Code of Ethics and to preserve the reputation of the Olympic Movement in India. The IOC also indicated that it will prepare a report for its next Executive Board meeting based on the answers that the IOA provides.”
A state auditor report last year slammed preparations for the 2010 Games and criticised organisers and legislators for a lack of due diligence ahead of the event. The Comptroller and Auditor General report, presented to the Indian parliament, revealed that the final cost of the Games was 16 times the original estimate of US$270 million. Auditors also stated that the organising committee was “deeply flawed, riddled with favouritism and bias” and added that “appropriate due diligence was conspicuously absent at all levels”. According to the report, the Games cost $4.1 billion to organise while the revenue generated from the event was only $38 million.
Kalmadi served as head of the organising committee for Delhi 2010 before falling foul of the corruption allegations. Speaking on Tuesday, India’s Sports Minister Ajay Maken stated that Kalmadi should immediately step down from his position at the IOA. “Anyone facing charges as serious as that of corruption should not head the Indian Olympic Association,” Maken told CNN-IBN. “So, any such person as Suresh Kalmadi, I think in the best interest of Indian sports, should resign from the presidency.” The IOC’s next Executive Board meeting is scheduled to take place in Lausanne, Switzerland on March 13-14.
Source: http://www.sportbusiness.com