Tamás Gyárfás, the former vice president of FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation) and treasurer of LEN (now European Aquatics) was sentenced to seven years in jail by a Budapest court this past week for ordering the murder of a rival businessman.
The head of Portugal's leading sports institute "repudiates and condemns" the lack of truth in statements made by António Silva, he has told national media on a day when the controversial, "self-suspended" boss of Portuguese swimming was reelected president of European Aquatics in Athens.
The next chapters in the integrity saga surrounding the presidents of European Aquatics, the old and the new: António Silva gives a largely strange, world record-breakingly long interview to save his presidency, while Paolo Barelli claims a legal victory before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
What is all the talk about good governance worth? Portugal and swimming regulators at global, European and domestic levels, now face the age-old question of what to do when national laws rule you unfit to govern but the sports family thinks it knows better.
A ministerial inquiry commission backed the claims of whistleblower Alexandra Jorge and ruled against swimming president António Silva. According to the law, the Portuguese Swimming Federation FPN must call new elections.
The disturbing decision by European Aquatics to waive an integrity check on President António Silva has triggered a campaign: 27 national federations are needed to force Silva out of office.
Swimming’s new Integrity Unit faces its first test of independence as questions swirl around European Aquatics’ Portuguese president António Silva. The board will have an emergency meeting this evening to fend a serious threat to Silva’s re-election later this month.
