The programme alleged that Azerbaijan had paid millions of dollars to AIBA with Ivan Khodabakhsh (pictured), the chief operating officer of the AIBA-owned World Series of Boxing (WSB), facilitating the payment of $9 million (£6 million/€7.5 million) in exchange for two gold medals at London 2012.

AIBA President C K Wu reacted furiously to the allegations stating that his organisation has a "zero-tolerance" view on corruption and he immediately set up the Special Investigation Committee, which will be chaired by former USA Boxing President and current AIBA Disciplinary Commission chair Tom Virgets, to look into the allegations.

The five-person Special Investigation Committee also includes AIBA Ethics Commission member Humbert Furgoni from France, AIBA Legal Counsel Ricardo Contreras from Mexico and AIBA Disciplinary Commission members Dennis O'Connell and Antonio de Guzman from Ireland and Spain respectively.

They held their first meeting today in Baku where the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships are currently taking place and have started the process of gathering in all documentation, as well as interviewing the parties that are relevant to the investigation.

As chairman of the committee, Virgets wrote to the BBC on September 30 requesting that they provide the committee with all evidence relied upon by the BBC in support of the allegations made in the Newsnight programme.

The BBC has informed the committee that although they are willing to assist with the investigation, they will not identify any confidential sources.

The Committee have revealed that the BBC is yet to provide them with any documentation or evidence.

The Committee added that they will not be making additional statements regarding its investigation until it has concluded.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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