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REUTERS
QUEBEC CITY, DEC 16: The Olympic organising committee in Quebec City was courted by special agents who offered to buy votes on the International Olympic Committee to help the city's bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics to succeed, Le Soleil newspaper reports.
The newspaper report yesterday came four days after leading Olympic official Marc Hodler made allegations of attempted corruption, saying cities bidding to stage the games were offered votes en bloc for millions of dollars by agents.
In a front-page article, Le Soleil quoted former Quebec 2002 bid organiser, Jean Grenier, as saying at least three special agents claiming to be close to the IOC offered to buy IOC votes to help the Canadian city beat the main contender Salt Lake city.
``These were firms who pretended to have links with international sporting federations, big sponsors and television stations,'' Grenier told Soleil.Grenier said the firms that acted as special agents were based in Chicago, New York City and France.
He said heremembered that the special agents had asked for about $ 50,000 or their services.
A Quebec government civil servant involved in the city's 2002 bid however told Le Soleil a French intermediary had asked for $ 50,000 per vote to buy the votes of some 20 IOC members from the developing world.
"It was an offer of services of about one million dollars," Soleil said .
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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