OSLO, Norway (AP) — The corruption trial of the long-time former biathlon leader accused of protecting Russia from doping cases opened Tuesday.
Anders Besseberg denied wrongdoing including allegations of accepting bribes and a liaison with a prostitute in Moscow. The trial at a court in Hokksund in his native Norway is set to last more than a month.
The 77-year-old Besseberg was president of the International Biathlon Union for more than 20 years until he stepped down in 2018 after a police raid on its offices in Austria as part of a multi-nation investigation.
Besseberg was indicted last April by Norwegian prosecutors on charges of aggravated corruption relating to alleged bribery dating from 2009. It involved luxury watches, exclusive hunting trips, and use of a leased car.
His case emerged during years of investigations of state-backed doping programs and cover-ups by Russia.
Besseberg’s lawyer, Christian B. Hjort, told the court his client rejected the accusation of sexual favors. Besseberg did not dispute receiving the other benefits and claimed they were not improper, Hjort said in comments reported by Norwegian agency NTB.
An IBU-commissioned report concluded in 2021 there had been “systematic corrupt and unethical conduct at the very top” of the governing body.
The report accused the IBU’s then-leadership of repeated failures to look for evidence in Russian doping cases. Besseberg had been a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s foundation board representing Winter Olympic sports.
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