FINA Suspends Italian Swimming Federation President Paolo Barelli
FINA has suspended Italian Swimming Federation President Paolo Barelli effective immediately.
FINA’s independent Ethics Panel made the decision to provisionally suspended the leader of Italian swimming, who also is a former FINA Bureau Member and former Ligue Europeenne de Natation (LEN) President.
He was LEN president until the beginning of this year.
The FINA Ethics Committee is currently investigating multiple referrals of alleged wrongdoing from three separate cases against Paolo Barelli.
The allegations of wrongdoing under investigation by the FINA Ethics Panel against Barelli include potential multiple rule violations of the FINA Constitution and the FINA Code of Ethics.
According to a FINA release, the Hearing Panel resolved to impose a provisional suspension on Paolo Barelli that precludes him from exercising any functions and participating in any activities within FINA, FINA Continental Organizations and FINA Member Federations. So, Barelli is ineligible to act as President of the Italian Swimming Federation during his provisional suspension.
Paolo Barelli’s provisional suspension shall stay in effect until the resolution of all matters underway with the FINA Ethics Panel.
This is not the first time Barelli has been investigated. He received a vote of no confidence as LEN president and was succeeded by Antonio da Silva early in 2022.
An investigation looked into the allegations of financial irregularity after revelations in May 2020 that three world swimming bosses had been named in a complaint alleging financial irregularity, including Barelli.
The offices of the European Swimming League (LEN) were raided by Swiss police in relation to the allegations in March 2021.