According to the prosecution, Mr. Besseberg accepted luxury watches, exclusive hunting trips, prostitutes and a leased car between 2009 and 2018. The 77-year-old man, president of the IBU from 1992 to 2018, denies any wrongdoing.
“Why did the Russians want to curry favor with Besseberg? Why was Infront (rights buyer) interested in paying bribes? We will endeavor to prove it,” began, at the opening of the trial, prosecutor Marianne Djupesland cited by the NTB agency.
This first day of hearing before the Buskerud Magistrate’s Court, located 60 kilometers west of Oslo, will be devoted to the presentation of the facts by the prosecutor as well as the arguments of the defense. The accusations against the former boss of world biathlon echo the conclusions of a damning report published in January 2021 by an independent commission set up by the International Federation.
This, created by the Swede Olle Dahlin who succeeded Mr. Besseberg at the head of the IBU, concluded that the Norwegian had protected Russian interests for many years with the help of its general director, the German Nicole Resch.
Based on testimonies from whistleblowers, searches carried out by the Austrian and Norwegian police, and on a report from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the document had pinned Mr. Besseberg for having received at least 200,000 dollars (182,780 euros) from Russian officials, having been invited to hunting trips in Russia and having received the services of prostitutes. If the facts are proven, Anders Besseberg risks ten years of incarceration.
The trial is scheduled to last until February 16.