Swimming

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam Embroiled in Kuwaiti Contract Controversy

February 15, 2024

The corruption allegations against World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

Although he was cleared last week by the Kuwait Olympic Committee’s Ethics Commission, The Inquisitor reported Wednesday that Kuwaiti authorities have still decided to refer Al-Musallam’s case to the Public Prosecutor General’s Office for a criminal investigation. During his time working as director general of the Kuwait Olympic Committee (KOC), Al-Musallam allegedly gave a contract for the 2022 Gulf Games in Kuwait City to the company Dynamic General Trading & Contracting — apparently owned by his wife, sons, and daughters.

The amount involved is reportedly 3,424,500 Kuwaiti dinar, or about $11.12 million U.S. dollars, but The Inquisitor said only part of that total was provided to Al-Musallam’s family-owned company.

Jens Weinrich of The Inquisitor also reported that Al-Musallam was involved in the Asia Aquatics meeting on Monday discussing millions in missing Kuwaiti funds intended for Sheikh Khalid Al Sabah, a member of Kuwait’s ruling family and president of Asia Aquatics since 2009. Al-Musallam previously served as secretary general of the Kuwait Swimming Association under Sheikh Khalid.

Al-Musallam has dismissed his latest corruption allegations as a domestic rivalry related to last year’s Olympic Council of Asia election.

Last year, Al Musallam lost by four votes to Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Sabah in the Olympic Council of Asia’s presidential election. Those election results were later deemed illegitimate by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) because the suspended Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah intervened on behalf of his brother.

Both Sheikh Ahmad and Al-Musallam have reportedly been targeted by the U.S. Department of Justice for suspected bribery related to FIFA and international soccer politics. Al-Musallam has maintained his innocence and told reporters at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics that he was never questioned by American investigators about those allegations.

The KOC nominated the candidacy of Al-Musallam, who was elected president of World Aquatics (then FINA) in 2021. The IOC previously banned the KOC for government interference, and Al-Musallam’s own swimming federation attempted to have him removed from office directly preceding the 2017 FINA elections when he was named First Vice President.