(ATR) The Royal Palace of Monaco responds to allegations that IOC member Prince Albert accepted gifts to influence his vote for the 2014 Olympics.
Allegations surfaced that he accepted "extravagant gifts from Russia" before voting for Sochi to stage the 2014 Olympics, allegations that are flatly rejected.
The palace said it "categorically denies the false allegations", in a statement sent to the Associated Press.
The IOC tells Around the Rings it has only noted the allegations and has not referred them to the Ethics Commission because there is an ongoing court case between Albert and his former intelligence advisor, Robert Eringer, the American who leveled the charges.
There is no word yet on whether the allegations will come before the IOC Executive Board, which meets next month.
Eringer's lawyer sent a letter to IOC president Jacques Rogge, that was obtained by Around the Rings, alleging that there is "ample evidence" to demonstrate Albert "egregiously violated the following IOC Code of Ethics and rules on conflicts of interest".
The attorney, Brigham J. Ricks, alleges that Albert "accepted lavish gifts and trips", including a three-bedroom "dacha", from the-then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russia before and after voting in favor of Sochi.
Ricks claims in the letter. that following the July 2007 vote, Albert accepted from Putin a fishing vacation in Siberia.
Eringer has asked Rogge to launch an ethics probe into the allegations.
"To protect the integrity of the Olympic movement, we hope that the IOC and its Ethics Commission will fully investigate this matter and punish the offenders to dissuade others from conducting themselves like Prince Albert," the letter concludes.
The IOC said it was refraining from further comment due to the legal dispute between Albert and Eringer.
Eringer claims he established and ran the Monaco Intelligence Service between 2002 and 2008 "with the specific charge to root out corruption in the principality". He is currently suing Albert for wrongful dismissal in a California court.
Written by Mark Bisson.
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