President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle, has warned that the Caribbean needs to be “extremely careful with its modus operandi” after concerns were raised over a possible breach of International Boxing Association (AIBA) election rules ahead of the Congress in December.
Amateur boxing’s governing body, AIBA, which is trying to restore its tainted image, is due to elect a new president at the December 12-13 Congress.
However, concerns have surfaced that the Dominican Republic Boxing Federation (DRBF) – which nominated Domingo Solano for President – transferred a total of $4,800 (£3,700/€4,000) to the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) to cover the dues of nine national federations.
AMBC President Osvaldo Bisbal reported the “disturbing case” of the payment in a letter to the heads of the AIBA Disciplinary and Ethics Commissions, which he said was made “without previous approval from our side.”
Bisbal alleges the DRBF told the AMBC the money “was to pay for the membership fees for nine national federations in order for them to be eligible for the upcoming Congress”
The Argentinian, a vice-president of AIBA, also suggested the DRBF had asked for the source of the money to be covered up as it “requested AMBC to issue an individual receipt to each national federation that AMBC pretended to receive each fee from each of these nine national federations”. The money was for AIBA’s member federations in Saint Maarten, The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, the Virgin Islands, Dominica, Anguila, Bermuda, Haiti and Suriname, according to the letter.
“I am reporting this to you because I believe that AIBA and AMBC could be affected from an ethical point of view,” Bisbal wrote.
“As we are in critical situation to restore our damaged image, I am requesting your proper considerations on this case.”
While Solano is no longer the President of the DRBF – he left in 2016 after 38 years at the helm – the alleged payment from the Dominican body could land the honorary AIBA vice-president in hot water with the Election Committee and the Ethics Commission. The election rules state candidates “should in no case and under no pretext give presents or offer donations or gifts or grant advantages or benefits of whatever nature to or at the request of any party who will vote in, or who may otherwise influence, an election”.
Candidates should also “not directly or indirectly, solicit, accept or offer any form of remuneration or commission, or any concealed benefit or service of any nature, connected with any AIBA activity or election or appointment to office”.
Solano’s knowledge of the payment is not yet known.
It is also not clear whether the Election Committee or Ethics Commission will take any action against Solano, but the allegations have caused concern among senior AIBA officials.
Ninvalle, the AMBC Vice President, said this recently “I don’t believe that there was any intention by anyone of the Caribbean countries to go against any ethical rule laid out by AIBA. The Caribbean just does not operate in that way.
However, this is an election season and anything that is said and done will be immensely scrutinized hence we as Region need to be extremely careful with our modus operandi.
We also need to make sure that we don’t conform to the usual last minute rush which is clearly the genesis of this issue. It is my sincere hope that we all learn from this.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended AIBA in June of last year because of issues with its governance, finances and refereeing and judging.
