Sheikh Ahmad al Fahad al Sabah has been an IOC member for 26 years.GETTY IMAGES
Facing a criminal trial in Switzerland, Olympic powerbroker Sheikh Ahmad al Fahad al Sabah "temporarily stepped aside" from his IOC work on Monday, according to Graham Dunbar of the AP. The Kuwaiti sheikh denied wrongdoing but said in a statement that he did not want "these politically motivated allegations to distract attention" from the Olympic movement's work. A statement from his personal office said, "Sheikh Ahmad has every confidence and trust in the Swiss courts and IOC Ethics Commission's impartial due processes. He fully intends to continue serving the IOC again at the earliest opportunity." The sheikh was indicted for forgery in Geneva and faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The investigation "arose from a dispute with another royal family member," who is a former PM of Kuwait. Sheikh Ahmad has been an IOC member for 26 years and is a "close ally" of President Thomas Bach. He leads the global and Asian groups of national Olympic bodies. He is due to be re-elected unopposed in Tokyo next week as president of the Association of National Olympic Committees (AP, 11/19).
