Budapest (AFP)

The president of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), the Hungarian Tamas Ajan, who has been withdrawn since the end of January following an investigation into accusations of corruption and doping, has resigned, the Federation announced on Wednesday.

The investigation, initiated following a report by the German channel ARD broadcast in January, is still ongoing, said the Federation, based in Budapest.

"The IWF thanks Tamas Ajan for more than four decades of weightlifting service," said IWF interim president Ursula Papandrea in a statement on the institution's website.

"When the sanitary circumstances linked to the pandemic (COVID-19) allow it, the holding of elections will allow a new generation to start working as soon as possible to ensure a bright future for the sport we love," added Ms. Papandrea .

Mr. Ajan, 81, has been a member of the IWF since 1976. He was its secretary general for 24 years, before assuming its presidency for the past 20 years.

ARD claimed in its documentary that a "culture of corruption" had developed in the world of weightlifting. According to her, renowned weightlifters are rarely screened, and doping control officers accept cash to handle urine samples. Allegations that Mr. Ajan called "lies".

But in the process, the IWF board of directors had appointed independent experts to examine these accusations, in order to act "decisively" and restore the institution's tarnished reputation. Ajan then agreed on January 23 to step down for 90 days while the investigation was conducted.

According to the German chain, until 2017 high-level weightlifters would have been exempt from numerous controls, and some of its controls would have been distorted in exchange for bribes.

ARD cited documents showing that almost 4.5 million euros paid to the IWF by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were transferred to accounts in Switzerland over which Mr. Ajan exercises sole control.

Mr. Ajan claims to have been the victim of an "unfair attack" on the part of ARD. "This film completely ruined my life and 50 years of my work. Much of my work has focused on preventing doping," he said.

Ms. Papandrea on Wednesday praised Ajan's work "in recent years to ensure the establishment of an anti-doping program that meets IOC standards".

© 2020 AFP