Franco Falcinelli has been officially appointed as Acting Interim President of the International Boxing Association ©EUBC

Italy's Franco Falcinelli has been officially appointed Acting Interim President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) following the suspension of C K Wu, it was confirmed today. 

Wu was suspended by the AIBA Disciplinary Commission on Tuesday (October 10).

It followed a complaint from 11 members of the AIBA Executive Committee, led by Falcinelli, who have opposed Wu since a meeting in Moscow in July. 

Wu was allegedly in breach of several disciplinary codes and statutes.

They included his attempt to dismiss opponents on the AIBA Executive Commission, taking commercial decisions without approval, misleading the media and National Federations about the organisation's finances and blocking an attempt to organise a vote of no confidence against him.

Wu, however, has appealed to the Swiss District Court in Lausanne, where AIBA are based.

The 70-year-old Taiwanese claims the AIBA Disciplinary Commission do not have the power to suspend him and only the Congress can take such action. 

Wu, a member of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, has predicted that the Court will overturn his suspension. 

He has led AIBA since 2006. 

Franco Falcinelli, right, has replaced C K Wu, left, as Acting Interim President of AIBA following his suspension ©AIBA
Franco Falcinelli, right, has replaced C K Wu, left, as Acting Interim President of AIBA following his suspension ©AIBA

A majority vote among AIBA Executive Committee members confirmed Falconelli's appointment.

In a short statement, AIBA's executive director William Louis-Marie confirmed that 72-year-old Falcinelli, President of the European Boxing Confederation (EUBC), would assume Wu's responsibility. 

"To date, 15 Executive Committee members [out of] 17 have voted in favour of Mr Franco Falcinelli's appointment as the AIBA Acting Interim President until the final decision of the disciplinary commission is taken with respect to the suspension of the AIBA President, Dr Ching-kuo Wu," he said. 

Wu had appointed Falcinelli as EUBC President in December 2012 following the resignation of France's Dr Humbert Furgoni. 

Earlier this year the AIBA Executive Committee members trying to unseat Wu had tried unsuccessfully to suspend Louis-Marie after they claimed he had tried to defend Wu illegally.