By Duncan Mackay

June 16 - João Havelange (pictured), the former President of FIFA, is being investigated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Ethics Commission over allegations made in a BBC Panorama programme that he received a $1 million bribe (£618,000), it was reported tonight.

The 95-year-old Brazilian, the most senior member of the IOC having been elected in 1963, was alleged by the programme to have received the "bung" from FIFA's collapsed marketing partner, ISL.

FIFA have refused to investigate the claims but now it has been revealed that the IOC requested the information from Panorama shortly after the programme was broadcast last November.

"The IOC takes all allegations of corruption very seriously and we would always ask for any evidence of wrongdoing involving any IOC members to be passed to our Ethics Commission," a spokesman for the IOC told the Guardian.

"The Ethics Commission launched its inquiry before Christmas last year, after the first BBC Panorama programme went on air.

"The Commission has received supporting documents from the BBC and is now in the process of verifying the authenticity of the material that has been gathered so far.

"It is therefore pursuing its work and, although we cannot speak on its behalf as it is conducting its work independently, as a general principle they would always look at any available evidence of wrongdoing by IOC members while the process is ongoing."

Havelange, who represented Brazil in swimming at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and water polo at the 1952 Games in Helsinki, is a former lawyer who rose to the top in FIFA.

He was elected as President in 1974 and held the post until 1998 when Sepp Blatter, his chosen successor and who had worked closely with him as FIFA's general secretary, succeeded him.

Havelange has continued to play an active role within the IOC and at its Session in Copenhagen in 2009 was a leading member of the delegation that helped Rio de Janeiro become the first South American city to be awarded the Olympics and Paralympics, beating rivals Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo.

Cameroon's Issa Hayatou, a member of FIFA's Executive Committee who is also on the IOC, is already under investigation by the Ethics Commission as a result of the controversial programme.

According to the broadcast, a list of secret payments made by now defunct marketing company ISL included one of 100,000 French francs in 1995 to Hayatou.

He has denied the allegations.

Contact the writer of this story at duncan.mackay@insidethegames.biz