(3/17/99)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) _ The International Olympic Committee expelled six members today for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in graft from officials who brought the 2002 Winter Games to Salt Lake City.
The expulsions, on a secret ballot among 90 eligible voters, followed an overwhelming vote of confidence for Juan Antonio Samaranch, the IOC's embattled president.
Agustin Arroyo of Ecuador, Zein El Abdin Ahmed Abdel Gadir of Sudan, Jean-Claude Ganga of the Congo Republic, Lamine Keita of Mali, Sergio Santander of Chile and Paul Wallwork of Samoa were believed to be the first IOC members kicked out for corruption in the panel's 105 years.
The vote counts were 72-16 against Arroyo, 86-4 against Gadir, 88-2 against Ganga, 72-16 against Keita, 76-12 against Santander and 67-19 against Wallwork.
Their expulsions, upholding the actions of IOC leadership in late January, marked a watershed in the worst scandal in Olympic history and, officials hoped, the start of a reform process to regain the luster of the five rings.
Corporate sponsors, sports officials and even leaders of the U.S. Congress have pressured the IOC to make major changes in the wake of the scandal, in which Salt Lake bidders gave cash, travel, medical care and other lavish gifts to try to win votes.
At least 30 votes were needed to avoid expulsion, with delegates simply writing "yes" on a blank piece of paper to oust their colleagues or "no" to let them stay.
There was no immediate comment from any of the ousted members. All have professed innocence but all faced daunting evidence of wrongdoing.
Utah investigators, whose work laid the foundation for the expulsions, said Arroyo's family received almost $21,000 in cash and benefits from Salt Lake bidders. Gadir's son, Zuhair, received $17,000 from Salt Lake while a student at Southern Mississippi, investigators found.
Ganga, who led the African boycott of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and his family, received $270,000 in cash, medical and travel expenses and lavish gifts, according to investigators.
The inquiry found that Keita "knowing permitted" organizers to make payments totaling more than $97,000 to support his son at the University of Utah. They said Santander received a $10,000 political campaign donation from Salt Lake bid chief Tom Welch and Wallwork's wife, the investigation found, received a $30,000 loan from Welch while his family got more than $67,000 in travel benefits.
Each of the six used at least his allotted 20 minutes in defense. The presentations were described as dignified, with no shouting or finger-pointing.
Ganga, who said earlier in the week that the investigation was a "plot against the Third World," brought documents, including a copy of credit card bills, which he passed to Samaranch.
