Documentary uncovers Olympic vote 'touts'

International “agents” are promising the votes of some members of the International Olympic Committee for the 2012 Games for between €83,000 and €249,000, according to a BBC documentary to be broadcast tomorrow.

A year-long investigation by Panorama discovered people they called “agents” who were claiming to be able to secure the votes of some of the 124 voting members of the IOC in exchange for large sums of money.

The IOC, which is to decide whether to give the 2012 Games to London or one of the other shortlisted cities, ordered an inquiry into alleged “improper conduct” last week after the programme’s claims became known.

Undercover reporters for the BBC posed as consultants acting for clients with business interests in east London who were keen to see the Olympics come to the capital.

They travelled to Serbia, Hungary and Egypt where they say the agents claimed that – for the right price – they could secure them IOC members’ votes.

In Egypt the BBC journalists said they were quoted 14 votes at a cost of €83,000, in Hungary 20 votes would allegedly cost €4m, and in Serbia 7-10 votes would cost them €2.5m. In some cases there were agents’ fees on top.

The programme-makers also claim they were shown files which an agent said contained the IOC’s conclusions on each city’s bid weeks before the official shortlist had been announced.

However, they said the Egyptian agent would not reveal how he would help get the 14 votes,

insisting that the IOC had cleaned itself up after the Salt Lake City votes scandal and he would have to stick to the new rules.

Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC, has pledged to stamp out corruption following the 1998 Salt Lake City affair in which 13 Olympic officials were accused of accepting bribes.

The programme it is not believed to have found any impropriety on behalf of London’s 2012 Olympic bid team.

London 2012 chief executive officer Keith Mills earlier wrote to the IOC enclosing copies of correspondence between the bid team and the Panorama producers which “reaffirmed the bid’s total commitment and adherence to the ethical rules of the IOC”.

A spokesman for London 2012 said today: “From what we now know of the programme’s content it is clear that London 2012 is not accused of any wrongdoing.

“We understand that certain allegations are made as a result of the programme’s undercover operation but they are not in any way connected with the London bid.

“Lord Coe, London’s 2012 Olympic bid Chairman, has emphasised that this bid is being conducted in an ethical and proper manner and within the bidding rules set by the International Olympic Committee. There is nothing in this programme which brings that into question.

He added: “Panorama’s wider allegations regarding the bidding process have already been referred to the IOC’s Ethics Commission and these matters will be dealt with by the IOC in due course.”

London is on the shortlist to host the Games along with Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow. The winner will be announced next July.

:: Panorama is due to be shown on BBC One on August 4 2004 at 9pm.