A "leading figure" in int'l swimming and the Olympic movement "has been caught up in a controversy surrounding an apparent request for commissions" potentially worth millions of pounds for sponsorship deals, according to Lord & Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES. Husain al-Musallam of Kuwait is "set to be re-elected unopposed" this week during the World Aquatics Championships as the senior VP of FINA. He is also a member of the IOC's Olympic Solidarity Commission. In a meeting with a prospective Chinese marketing agent, Musallam, who is also the director general of the Olympic Council of Asia, reportedly suggested 10% of any sponsorship deals for the OCA "should be separately channelled to him and associates" by the marketing company as "a commission." It would be "unusual practice" in int'l sports organizations for such a commission "to be paid separately" to an employee of the organization receiving the sponsorship. The OCA said that it "is aware" of a tape of that meeting, but "insists no requests for commissions were made by or paid to any OCA officials." Musallam is the right-hand man of OCA President Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, an Olympic "powerbroker." The recording "emerged from the FBI investigation into Musallam and Sheikh Ahmad." It covers a 20-minute meeting between Musallam and a Chinese agent, understood to be Ann Yuan Yue, "who had previously secured lucrative marketing deals for the OCA" (LONDON TIMES, 7/19).
