The former president of the International Biathlon Union, Norwegian Anders Besseberg, is responding to the accusations against him in court after years of investigations.
in Norway an extraordinary trial begins on Tuesday. The former president of the International Biathlon Union (Ibu), a Norwegian, sits in the dock Anders Besseberg77.
The charges come from corruption: generous bribes in the form of goods such as expensive watches, paid hunting trips and also the services of prostitutes. Russian sports managers are suspected of paying the bribes. In addition, Besseberg had a car for eight years that Ibu's partner rented.
In exchange for the bribes, Besseberg was reportedly asked to be sympathetic to Russia, especially in anti-doping matters.
Besseberg was Ibu's chairman from 1992 to 2018. He has denied having committed any crimes.
If Besseberg is found guilty, he could receive a ten-year prison sentence, says the Norwegian TV2 on its website.
to Besseberg related corruption allegations have been going on for years. He has been questioned by several different authorities.
Økokrim, the Norwegian agency investigating economic and environmental crimes, has questioned Besseberg about corruption, and the Austrian police about fraud and doping fraud. These investigations are still ongoing.
Biathlon's own research unit, the Biathlon Integrity Unit (Bui), has also questioned the Norwegian.
Finally, last April, Økokrim filed charges against Besseberg. The trial begins in Norway on Tuesday, January 9.
Norwegian TV2 publishes on the first day of the court session a documentary series in which the former president of the Norwegian Biathlon Union and the current director of the Norwegian Athletics Federation Erlend Slokvik tells his own perspective on the Besseberg case.
“If the allegations are true, this is shocking. It would be a real shame for Norwegian sports if a prominent Norwegian sports director was found guilty. The effect would be very negative for Norwegian sports,” says Slovik in the documentary series.
Slovik also says that Besseberg has been bragging about his expensive watches. According to Økokrim, the total value of the three watches was around 30,000 euros.
“We knew he was receiving gifts, but maybe we didn't think about it carefully enough. We knew about hunting trips and expensive gifts. He showed them to us. He was quite blue-eyed in this matter,” says Slovik.
“I would characterize him as naive.”
Slovik too confirms that Besseberg was associated with rumors that he accepted the services of prostitutes as bribes. According to the charges, this happened in 2013 and in 2015–2018, and the payers were always Russian biathlon leaders.
“He probably mentioned something himself and there were a lot of rumors. There were stories about women in the hot tub and everything else.”
Slovik says that he too has been offered “female companionship” during a competition trip in Ukraine in 2000. The Russian interpreter had introduced Slovik to a woman who would be his hostess during the visit.
“A few days later, the interpreter came back and asked why I hadn't 'used' the woman who was directed to me.”
Slovic too according to Besseberg, as a leader, he was authoritarian and couldn't stand it if things didn't go his way.
“He became angry and aggressive if we had a different opinion than him.”
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