February 2: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not plan to investigate organisers of the 2000 Sydney Olympics after reports of payments made to its members. IOC executive board member Jacques Rogge said, ``From our perspective they have acted according to the rules.''Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said last month he promised Kenyan and Ugandan IOC representatives US dollar 35,000 (Rs 14.7 lakh) each to sponsor sports projects ahead of the 1993 vote on the 2000 Games.
Speaking before a world conference on doping, Coates said the Australians were still trying to find out what happened to some of the money paid to Kenya.
The Kenyan official was Charles Mukora, one of four members who have resigned from the IOC following allegations of payments of goods and services to 14 members from Salt Lake City before it won the right to stage the 2002 Winter Games.
Rogge said the Lausanne-based IOC could not investigate Mukora further because of Swiss laws. ``Under Swiss law, once amember has resigned he cannot be investigated further. It is a closed matter for us.''
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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