– They slandered him. That’s what Volker Schmid testified in court about several biathlon summits in the International Biathlon Federation. He had then been asked by Besseberg’s defenders whether there were people who wanted the biathlon president towards the end of Besseberg’s presidency. – That is right. There were actually three members who had been trying to get in there for several years. It was James Carrabre from Canada, Max Cobb from the United States and Olle Dahlin from Sweden, Schmid said, before continuing. – Anders apparently did not take it very seriously, said Schmid. In April 2018, the police raided Besseberg and the investigation into him became known. He then resigned as biathlon president. Central role “Mentor”, “sparring partner” and “hunting buddy”. This is how Besseberg himself has described Volker Schmid, the man with whom he has had close ties for several decades. Among other things, intercepted telephone conversations between them have shown how Besseberg told Schmid about internal affairs in the biathlon association. On Tuesday, the former top sponsor, who is also central to the indictment against the corruption-accused biathlon president, testified. He is central because of a number of promised hunting trips to Besseberg. The former biathlon president is indicted in the trial for gross corruption, but pleads not guilty after the indictment. A number of pretended hunting trips with Volker Schmid are central to the indictment. The question of whether Schmid is just a personal friend or business associate has been problematic in court. Anders Besseberg is charged with gross corruption. Here from 2017. Photo: NTB Because at the same time as he invited to hunting trips, Volker Schmid was also the owner of the company APF Marketing, This was a company that negotiated marketing agreements for and with the International Biathlon Union (IBU). Later he also had an advisory role in Infront, the company that acquired APF. Both Schmid and Infront, who have paid for hunting trips and a leasing car, are at the center of the indictment against Besseberg. In court, he used the opportunity to fire at several top biathletes, who have either testified or will testify in the trial against Anders Besseberg. – What did they do to push Anders Besseberg out, asked Besseberg’s defender Mikkel Toft Gimse. – I can only make assumptions, because of the blackening I am aware of, said Schmid. Max Cobb is currently secretary general of the IBU. He was on the board when the police campaigned against Besseberg. Photo: NTB – In which way. What did they do to Besseberg? – Slandered him. In the direction that he would rather go hunting and not take Russian doping seriously, Schmid said. news has been in contact with Cobb. The International Biathlon Union answers this in a message to news. – In principle, the IBU representatives will not comment on reading statements or accusations from participants in the trial as long as it is ongoing, writes communications manager Christian Winkler to news. Among other things, American Cobb said in court last week that he reacted to Besseberg’s handling of the extensive Russian doping scandal after the Sochi Olympics in 2014. He also told stories about Besseberg’s hunting trips and rumors about prostitutes. The court has also played a wiretapped conversation which showed how Besseberg thought Cobb and Dahlin were “completely lost”. Refusing to explain Before Schmid made allegations that he wanted to remove Besseberg from several biathlon peaks, the court day had, however, developed into a lengthy tug-of-war. It took place between Økokrim and Schmid’s defender Florian Zechberger over a video link from Liechtenstein. – I have mentioned that Volker Schmid will not explain about hunting trips, Schmid’s defender Florian Zechberger broke in when the relationship between Schmid and Besseberg was to be clarified. Økokrim has previously documented several aspects of Besseberg’s hunting trips with Schmid. That Besseberg himself did not pay for hunting, accommodation and game on the trips. That Volker Schmid paid for trips through his company. That Infront agreed to cover the expenses of Schmid’s hunting trips with Besseberg. Besseberg himself has said that he saw these as private invitations, that he had no knowledge of the agreement between Schmid and Infront or how the payment took place. Besseberg has said that he did not check the prices of game and accommodation himself before he went on the trips. Among other things, it concerned a hunting trip to a castle in the Czech Republic, where a day ended up costing around NOK 100,000. Besseberg’s hunting companion, Volker Schmid. Here with his wife Regina Schnagel. The picture from a different occasion than the hunting trip. Schmid has been summoned as a witness in the trial against Besseberg Photo: Getty Images But when the relationship between Schmid and Besseberg was to be clarified in court on Tuesday, there was a halt. The reason is that Volker Schmid himself is a suspect in an investigation in Austria. Prosecutor Djupeland told the court that the case concerns the fact that the market giant Infront, where Schmid had an advisory role, should have received advantageous prices for its marketing cooperation with the International Biathlon Federation. Inflamed interrogation When Djupesland brought up Schmid’s police interrogation from autumn 2022, the defender from Liechtenstein protested. – Because Schmid has received assurances that the investigation or investigation by Økokrim will not be used against him in Austria. In April 2023, a case was opened against Schmid in Austria. This interrogation and the interrogation protocol have come about under other circumstances, Zechberger said. The defender’s expressed fear that something Schmid would comment in court could trigger prosecution in Austria. – And in general, Schmid will not answer questions regarding rights that were sold from IBU to Infront or APF, nor that which concerns hunting or that has been communicated via Infront, the lawyer continues. Besseberg’s defender Christian B. Hjort and prosecutor Marianne Djupesland in Økokrim. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB In court, the close relationship between Schmid, the marketing company Infront and Anders Besseberg has constantly been put under the microscope, among other things through impromptu hunting trips, intercepted telephone conversations and seized e-mails. – But will he answer questions about what relationship he has had with Besseberg in the period from 2005 onwards? – If they are not related to the topic just presented. Yes. But I reserve the right to intervene, says the lawyer. Wants reading Besseberg’s defender, Christian B. Hjort, expressed that he understood Volker Schmid’s situation, as he was given suspect status after the questioning was carried out. He believed, however, that it would be of interest for the court to become familiar with information from the interrogation, which created a tug-of-war in court. – So our concern is that facts are added to the basis that could have been clarified by reading this out, says Hjort and thought it was up to the court whether this should be read out. Volker Schmid opposed this. It is currently uncertain whether parts of the interview with Schmid will be read out in court at a later date. Permission has been granted for this in Buskerud District Court.
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The hunting partner claims biathlon peaks would remove Bessebeberg – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
