The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Must Open an Investigation into Allegations of Corruption in the International Fencing Federation.

Corruption in sports is so acutely felt that the International Olympic Committee (IOC )and the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on November 9, 2021, to fight corruption and crime in sport.

 More specifically, as stated by the leaders of these two organizations:

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2021/November/unodc-and-ioc-extend-collaboration-to-tackle-corruption-and-crime-in-and-through-sport.html.

Furthermore, the “signing of the MoU took place during the fourth annual meeting of the International Forum for Sports Integrity, which brings together over 500 stakeholders representing the Olympic Movement, intergovernmental agencies, governments, the betting industry, and other sectors.”  All four intergovernmental organizations that specialized in anti-corruption participated with high-level representatives: the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), INTERPOL. It is important to note that there is legislation that allows international authorities to establish jurisdiction over allegations of corruption, including, for example: The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), European Council Framework Decisions (covering corruption acts carried out within the framework of business activities). Further, these instruments have both general provisions covering bribery and corruption as well as specific ones covering competition manipulation. Then there are national laws that each country has in place to fight the corruption, bribery, money laundering and so forth.

This heartfelt commitment against corruption on the part of the IOC and the  and corresponding law enforcement agencies,  would lead one to imagine, if not actually believe, that the very serious aforementioned allegations of corruptions  (“Allegations”) raised by the United States delegate, Sam Cheris at the November 22, 2022, FIE Congress would raise a storm of activities including protestations from the accused, lawsuits, press-releases and, of course, an investigation into said Allegations.

Surprisingly, the Allegations did not cause any outcry; rather, they were met with a wall of silence from all sides. There was no response or denial of the Allegations on the floor at the FIE Congress, as well as no commentary from Mr. Emmanuel Katsiadakis, the  interim President of the FIE.  It is bewildering that the Foundation or its mysterious representative in FIE did not issue a statement of outrage or denial. Maybe  this is a new trend in Public Relations management: If someone accuses a representative of your organization of corruption, say nothing!

Be that as it may, there is one silence that seems indefensible: The silence of Emmanuel Katsiadakis, Interim FIE President. This because, as leader of the FIE, Mr. Katsiadakis, has an affirmative duty to investigate the veracity of the Allegations made by Mr. Cheris.

I underscore the word “seems” because I’m not privy to what may be occurring behind the scenes at the FIE or at the IOC. It is understood  that investigations are often conducted sub rosa, and there may very well be an investigation taking place and, in such case, Mr. Katsiadakis would be in the clear. But if after over seventy days from the November 26, 2022,  there is no investigation of the Allegations, the pervasive silence surrounding the Allegations could  appear to be increasingly collusive. In such case, Mr. Katsiadakis’ failure to act on the Allegations could  be, by itself, en egregious dereliction of duty on his part; and an additional investigation on his failure to act (parallel to the one of the Allegations) would also be warranted.

Regardless, there would be no reason to keep such an investigation secret, given that the Allegations  were made in public by Mr. Cheris from the floor during  its November 2022, Congress. Thus, the FIE should have announced - shortly after said Congress,  that it would dutifully initiate an independent investigation into the Allegations. This is to reassure FIE members that their 03/10-23 vote on the admission of Russia and Belarus back into FIE events, (the “Reentry”) would not be a farce. Instead,  there remains now a  strong suspicion that said vote  will be used for a manipulation of a sport competition  (i.e.,  the Reentry) based on a buying and selling of votes by a representative of the Foundation, as purported in the Allegations. It is understood that the FIE cannot manage this investigation internally  due to the historical links between the Foundation and the leadership of the FIE, including Mr. Usmanov (self-suspended President of the FIE)  and Mr. Logvin, a current member of the Executive Committee of the FIE. More specifically, Mr. Usmanov founded the Foundation and Mr. Logvin served as its president in the past.

But where is IOC President Thomas Bach in all this? Did he notify Ms. Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the UNODC of the Allegations? Indeed, it is Mr. Bach -and not Mr. Katsiadakis-  who signed the MOU. Who knows? One could say that he is too busy addressing the issue of the readmission of Russia and Belarus back in the games to be even remotely concerned with the Allegations, which, incidentally -if proven true could impact the Reentry of fencers from Russia and Belarus at FIE Events.

When it comes to the FIE and the IOC, we are too often left with unanswered questions. Unfortunately, this is not just a poor theatrical performance, in which you could just send in the clowns. On the contrary, there is too much at stake!  Therefore, in light of the Allegations and the apparent unwillingness of the FIE and the IOC to conduct any investigations, it is high time for the United Nations Office of Drug and Crimes  to intervene directly in this matter and open an investigation into the Allegations but also into the reasons for refusing to pursue one (if that is the case) on the part of the FIE and IOC.  In doing so, the UNODC can also activate International and Swiss Prosecutors as well as Interpol and other law enforcement agencies of jurisdiction (collectively referred to as the “Investigators”). It would be relatively easy for the Investigators to establish if the FIE was planning an investigation or not just by questioning members of the FIE Executive Committee on whether an investigation into the Allegations was ever discussed or even contemplated in any of their post-Congress meetings and communications. Incidentally, was an investigation into the Allegations even on the agenda of the January 27 meeting of the FIE Executive Committee?

Surely,  the UNODC has many irons in the fire but the UNODC should intervene forthwith and open an investigation at the FIE. In fact, time is of the essence because despite the very serious Allegations made by Mr. Cheris, the FIE is planning to proceed with the vote by its membership on the Reentry of fencers from Russia and the Belarus at the March 10, Extraordinary Congress; this without any evidence of any investigation taking place. As a matter of fact, to prevent such a potentially egregious manipulation of sport competition, the UNODC must immediately suspend and postpone the vote scheduled on March 10, 2023. Indeed, the willingness of the FIE to proceed on it as business is usual,  is just another strong signal that it is time to send in the Investigators.

Gil PEZZA