Boxing chief Rakhimov: "I've never had criminal involvement"

Gafur Rakhimov, the interim president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), whose sport has been threatened with expulsion from the Olympics, has told AFP he has "never been involved in transnational criminal organisations."
"We in the new leadership of AIBA could not change these regulations prior to our congress next month, because only the congress has the authority to do so."
Rakhimov said he could not interfere with the AIBA Election Committee, but he had "asked our lawyers and the administration to see if anything can be done to eliminate such doubts or questions, and if possible allow for more potential candidates to run."

- 'Allegations are false' -
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In a letter to Rakhimov in August, Paquerette Girard Zappelli, the IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, referred to a "decision by the US Department of The Treasury to consider you as part of, or linked to, two transnational criminal organisations."

"The truth is that I, of course, have never been involved in transnational criminal organisations or whatever has been said about me."
"Within just eight months, my colleagues in the Executive Committee and I have made so many important changes and improvement to our governance system, our anti-doping work and our judging and refereeing system."

"Here, IOC has provided us with external observers to make sure that our new standards and regulations are fully implemented."
"It was somehow unreal - but unfortunately it was reality and yes, by the end of last year we were just days away from a bankrupt AIBA. But we were able to sort it out and get agreements with all creditors and investors."