Skating Union Joins Bribery Investigation

The International Skating Union has promised to obey a mandate issued last week by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge and will investigate allegations that a reputed Russian mobster conspired to fix the pairs and ice dance figure skating competitions at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

Although ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta has characterized the charges against Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov as “gossip” and has not taken action, IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said Wednesday the ISU assured Rogge it will look into the matter.

“As stated last week, the ISU have told the IOC that they will investigate the issue,” Davies said. “We have since received confirmation in writing from them that they will immediately start an investigation on receipt and after verification of information and/or evidence from the U.S. Department of Justice.”

Tokhtakhunov, a native of Uzbekistan, was charged in federal court in New York with trying to bribe officials and arrange a deal to help a Russian pair and a French ice dance duo win their respective events. He was arrested last week in Italy, where he has a home, and is being held in a Venice jail. His lawyer, Luca Saldarelli, requested that he be released and placed under house arrest, and Judge Giannicolo Rodighiero is expected to rule on that within five days.

Tokhtakhunov said he plans to resist extradition efforts, which will prolong the resolution of the case. Tokhtakhunov has said he’s innocent and disputed the legitimacy of wiretapped conversations cited by U.S. prosecutors in their criminal complaint. Italian police have also said they have wiretap evidence he might have contacted as many as six judges in arranging a vote-swapping deal.

The U.S. Figure Skating Assn., in a letter to Cinquanta made public Wednesday, urged the ISU “to move with all deliberate speed” in following through on the decision it made in June during its Congress to form an ethics commission. USFSA President Phyllis Howard urged that the new body be independent of the ISU’s ruling Council, which passes judgment on ethics violations.

A USFSA proposal to impose a lifetime ban against judges or officials found guilty of “misconduct or ethical violations” was thwarted at the ISU Congress because the language was deemed too vague to be enforceable.

Howard said she is hopeful the latest scandal --and the Salt Lake City pairs judging controversy--won’t hurt the sport’s attendance or TV ratings.

“We do feel responsibility and we do have to take some steps to ensure public confidence is restored,” she said.