Anders Besseberg (78) is stripped of his honorary membership in the Norwegian Sports Confederation.
Wednesday 8 May at 10:15
This was announced by the Norwegian Sports Confederation at a press conference on Wednesday
Former IBU president Ander Besseberg was sentenced on 12 April to three years and one month in prison for gross corruption. Besseberg appealed the verdict on the spot.
According to VG’s sources, the matter was decided at a meeting of the Sports Board on Tuesday 7 May.
The 78-year-old’s lawyer Mikkel Toft Gimse reacts strongly to the message that Besseberg will not be allowed to keep his honorary degree.
– Anders Besseberg is not familiar with this. We are reacting to the fact that he has not been contacted, but learn about this from the media, Toft Gimse writes to NTB and elaborates:
– Besseberg emphasizes that the judgment against him is not legally binding and sees this as part of the preliminary judgment against him.
Despite the fact that the judgment has been appealed and is not legally binding, Besseberg admitted in court a number of reprehensible circumstances.
From what VG understands, the NIF board believes that Besseberg has damaged the sport’s reputation.
Besseberg was appointed an honorary member of NIF in 2013. In the justification it was stated that “he has contributed to the development of biathlon, both as a form of competition and as a televised sport”. The 78-year-old was president of the IBU from 1993 to 2018.
