The case against Mr Aksu was brought by the ITA on behalf of the IWF in June 2021 following an ITA investigation into a series of allegations of misconduct by some IWF staff. The investigation led to a lifetime ban for former IWF president Tamas. Mr. Ajan and Vice President Nik Vlad.
Following disciplinary proceedings before the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD), on January 3, 2023, the CAS ADD issued an order to administer the consequences of 21 anti-doping rule violations committed by Mr. Ax in 2013. The court ruled that it had been falsified. He sanctioned Turkish weightlifters by providing false documents, thereby circumventing sanctions against the TWF, which he headed at the time. Aksu was suspended for four years.
Mr. Ax appealed the CAS Additional Decision to the CAS Appellate Division, and a hearing was held on August 22, 2023.
On January 18, 2024, CAS confirmed that:Mr. Ax committed misconduct.This includes backdating letters and creating documents with altered metadata.Mr Aksu exerted “undue influence” and prevented “normal procedures” within the IWF from taking place.”. The panel further ruled that:TWF and (potentially) Mr. Ax himself faced a real risk of sanctions being imposed by the IWF for non-compliance with TWF's anti-doping responsibilities. The Panel also agrees with the appeal decision, believing that Mr. Ax's inappropriate conduct had the ultimate purpose of avoiding such negative consequences.”
In the end, the panel concluded that Mr. Ax’s “His conduct was deceptive and reprehensible, and in any case could have caused serious damage to the federation that had entrusted him with a top-level position and the authority to represent him in public life.However, CAS concluded that Mr Aksu's conduct wasStrict legal interpretation of such rules” and other legal expertise. More specifically, it was discovered that when Mr. Ax submitted forged documents to the ITA, he was no longer subject to IWF rules.
The IWF is currently asking the Swiss Federal Court to overturn the CAS decision. ITA will not comment further on this matter until these proceedings are concluded.
