Interpol, IOC detail latest initiative in integrity partnership

Worldwide criminal police organisation Interpol and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have unveiled details of the latest initiative under their ongoing integrity partnership.

The two parties staged a two-day event to train representatives from 26 Olympic International Federations on how to collect and establish facts relating to reports or suspicions of competition manipulation within sports organisations.

Those in attendance were given information on how to conduct fact-finding inquiries, establish facts of the allegation or suspicion, as well as how to report the finding to a disciplinary panel.

The two organisations also used the event to launch the ‘Interpol-IOC Handbook on Conducting Fact-Finding Inquiries into Breaches of Sports Integrity’ which will help National Olympic Committees and International Federations to make challenging inquiries more manageable, transparent and accountable.

Pâquerette Girard-Zappelli, chief ethics and compliance officer at the IOC, said: “International Federations have an important role to play in protecting the integrity of their respective sports.

“They oversee major events and have valuable intelligence when it comes to technical aspects as well as performance levels.

“It is important to build expertise within International Federations on competition manipulation, which really is a complex matter.

“Such training opportunities are therefore invaluable and we are thankful for our constructive collaboration with Interpol in this regard.”

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