An official described as "one of Uzbekistan's leading criminals" by United States authorities has been named interim president of Olympic boxing's governing body.
The International Boxing Federation (AIBA) says vice president Gafur Rakhimov was promoted on Saturday after the "unexpected resignation" of interim leader Franco Falcinelli.
"Rakhimov has been described as having moved from extortion and car theft to becoming one of Uzbekistan's leading criminals and an important person involved in the heroin trade," the US Treasury Department said last month when it announced it was freezing any assets he held under American jurisdiction.
AIBA executive committee member Pat Fiacco says it was "obligated to follow the statutes" requiring the longest-serving vice president to fill any vacancy.
The Treasury Department linked Rakhimov to "Thieves-in-Law," which it called a "vast criminal organisation" allegedly involved in money laundering, extortion, bribery, and robbery.
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Rakhimov has allegedly supported the criminal group by "providing warning of law enforcement issues, arranging meetings, and addressing other problems", the department found.
Fiacco says Rakhimov has "contributed positively" to AIBA, and "there is nothing negative that the executive committee can say."
