– I would like to emphasize that there has never been any secrecy about watches and other gifts. Besseberg established this during his free statement earlier in the trial. Among other things, he received an Omega watch from the Russian biathlon director Sergej Kustchenko during the WC in 2011. Kustchenko was also a board member of the International Biathlon Federation. That gift is part of the corruption charges against Besseberg. He pleads not guilty after the indictment. Didn’t know about gifts Transparency about these watch gifts and pretend hunting trips was again a topic in court on Wednesday. Klaus Leistner, a long-time board member of the International Biathlon Federation, testified then. He has been described in court as a close associate of Bessebergs for a number of years in the International Biathlon Federation. He told the court that he had no idea about such gifts. – Do you know that Besseberg has received watches from people with interests in biathlon, asked the prosecutor. – No, it was and is not known to me, said Leistner, who was responsible for finances on the board of the International Biathlon Federation. The value of the Omega watch Besseberg received from Kustschenko is estimated at NOK 195,400. Besseberg has said that some time after he had received the watch, he discovered that it had great value. At the same time, he felt that he had earned the gift, which is part of the indictment, and kept the gift. This is the watch Besseberg got from Kushchenko. news has been given permission to use the image. Photo: Økokrim Norwegian biathlete tops have previously told how Besseberg spoke openly on several occasions about watches he had received from Russians and their value. He has believed that this watch gift was no secret between himself and Kustchenko, who was part of the board of the International Biathlon Union until 2014. – It was not something he shared with you and the board? – No, certainly not, said Leistner. Besseberg himself was asked earlier in the trial whether he involved his general secretary Nicole Resch in the watch gift from the Russian director, who was also part of the board until 2014. – No, I don’t think so, and they didn’t think so at all, and I asked nor anyone else who sometimes received gifts, said Besseberg when this was the topic. Prosecutor Marianne Djupesland says they are concerned about how transparent there has been about the gifts and benefits Besseberg has received. – These are things we will come back to in the procedure, whether there has been transparency around gifts, says Djupesland to news. Besseberg’s defender Mikkel Toft Gimse points out that Besseberg has said that he did not try to keep gifts a secret. – The gift was presented in full public view. The fact that Leistner today cannot remember specifically that Besseberg has told about it does not change that, says Toft Gimse. He points out that there is a long distance between secrecy and telling absolutely everyone. Didn’t know about hunting trips In court, Leistner also answered that he didn’t know anything about Besseberg’s hunting trips, apart from the fact that the biathlon president was a passionate hunter. He said it was something everyone knew. He recalls, among other things, that Besseberg invited the IBU board to his home and showed off a trophy room with many hunting trophies, after a board meeting in Norway. Former board member of the International Biathlon Federation Klaus Leistner. Photo: Manzoni/IBU But Besseberg’s hunting trips to, for example, a hunting castle in the Czech Republic, where Besseberg went with top sponsor Volker Schmid a number of times, he did not know about. One of the trips there had a price tag of over NOK 100,000. The alleged hunting trips are also part of the indictment. – Do you know anything about who invited or the conditions for the hunt? And who paid for these trips? – I have no knowledge of that, says Leistner. He was aware that Besseberg also hunted in Russia. Earlier in the case, it was pointed out that hunting trips were occasionally part of the program that IBU tops could choose to participate in in connection with World Cup races. The relationship between top sponsor Volker Schmid and Besseberg has been highlighted many times in court. Schmid had an advisory role at marketing giant Infront, which negotiated marketing agreements for the International Biathlon Union. At the same time, he has treated a number of hunting trips to Besseberg, which he later also had covered by Infront. This photo was taken by Besseberg who felled a mouflon on 24 February 2016. This trip was highlighted in court on Friday. Photo: Private Besseberg has believed that the hunting trips with Schmid were private invitations. – Since I am not familiar with the trips, it is also not known to me who was responsible for the costs, said Leistner. Klaus Leistner believes it was a fundamental part of the regulations that he should not accept invitations from business associates. He says he himself has not received similar invitations to what Besseberg has done. – It was a fundamental part of the regulations that I did not accept invitations from business contacts. I have also done that in my professional activity, says Leistner. At the same time, Leistner pointed out that Besseberg was cheap to operate as president. Among other things, he pointed to the remuneration Besseberg received as president, which was modest.
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His close colleague did not know about Russian gifts – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
