Yesterday SwimSwam reported on an evolving story regarding FINA First Vice President Husain Al-Musallam and an allegation that the Kuwaiti National demanded a 10% commission from prospective sponsorship with a Chinese marketing company.
Today, the rumored audio from the meeting in which Al-Musallam demanded the 10% commission appeared on the Twitter account of Jens Weinreich – an award-winning German sports journalist who has been very active in reporting on Olympic and FIFA corruption scandals.
In the recording, a voice presumed to be Al-Musallam very clearly requests a 10% cut of the deal he is helping to broker with the corporate partner. Al-Musallam says there should be a combined total 18% commission with 8% going to “you guys” and 10% going to himself.
Drawing on a hypothetical yearly figure of $2 million, Al-Musallam begins to divide the pot, saying “That’s me, 200,000 (dollars), and 8 percent for you.” A female voice then confirms these figures.
Using a different hypothetical figure of $1 million, Al-Musallam further says:
“Let’s say we have one million. For example, one million (dollars). We take 18 percent, OK, out. And then, let’s say, from the remaining 82 (percent), we take one percent or two percent for the (running) cost.”
The female voice can be heard confirming “10 percent to you and 8 percent to me.”
Al-Musallam then directs the other individual in the room to send their proposal to “Sheikh,” likely referring to Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
co-conspirator Husain Al-Musallam (FINA OCA #FIFAcrime IOC) didn't answer journalistic questions but uses @insidethegames as PR mouthpiece pic.twitter.com/ex9PJVr59l
— SPORT & POLITICS (@JensWeinreich) July 20, 2017
In a peculiar move to denounce the allegations, Al-Musallam told insidethegames.biz that Mohsen Rezvani, President of the Iranian Swimming Federation, attempted to extort Al-Musallam by stealing and holding this recording, which Al-Musallam claims has existed for three years.
Claiming voice recording is standard procedure at all OCA meetings, Al-Musallam alleges the tape was stolen by a former employee of Kuwait’s delegation who has since been fired. The former employee then took the stolen tape to Iran where it was held by the Iranian secret police, says Al-Musallam.
Al-Musallam told insidethegames:
“These minutes was among a number of files stolen by a former employee in Kuwait after he was fired.”
“He returned to Iran with the tape.”
“I was then contacted by the President of the Iranian Swimming Federation [Mohsen Rezvani] three years ago, who told me that the tape was held by the Iranian secret police.”
“He said they would return it to me if I traveled to Iran and spoke to them.”
“I refused.”
Al-Musallam currently stands unopposed in his bid for re-election as FINA First Vice President, despite numerous complaints from the Kuwait Swimming Association (KSA). FINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu came to Al-Musallam’s defense and discredited the KSA on official FINA letterhead earlier this week. In addition to the numerous grievances concerning his eligibility to sit on the FINA Bureau, Al-Musallam is already under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding his additional role as Director General for the OCA for alleged participation in a FIFA bribery ring.
In response to the first bribery allegations from yesterday, FINA stated “There was no case to answer based on the information that is available to FINA at this time,” and will allow Al-Musallam to continue to run for re-election as FINA First Vice President.
FINA elections for Bureau positions, including FINA President, will take place Saturday in Budapest.
Ludicrous.