THE FIFA CORRPUTION saga took another twist this morning when football’s global governing body announced that it is expanding its ethics investigation to include the association’s president, Sepp Blatter.
The allegations relate to a meeting which Bin Hammam, a FIFA Executive Committee member, held on 10-11 May in Trinidad to lobby 25 Caribbean soccer leaders for their electoral support.
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In a statement issued to deny the charges yesterday, Bin Hamman turned the tables on Blatter, accusing the Swiss chief of not opposing the payments in question once he had become aware of them and calling on the FIFA ethics committee to broaden the terms of its inquiry.
According to this morning’s FIFA statement, Bin Hammam told them that “FIFA Vice-President Jack A. Warner would have informed the FIFA President in advance about alleged cash payments to delegations attending a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union [...] and that the FIFA President would have had no issue with these.”
FIFA has subsequently decided to summon Blatter to appear at Sunday’s ethics hearing in Zurich.
The association is yet to confirm if next week’s presidential election, due to take place on 1 June, will now proceed as scheduled.
The statement in full reads as follows:
On 26 May 2011, FIFA Executive Committee member Mohamed bin Hammam has requested the FIFA Ethics Committee to open ethics proceedings against FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter on the basis that, in the report submitted by FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer earlier this week, FIFA Vice-President Jack A. Warner would have informed the FIFA President in advance about alleged cash payments to delegations attending a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) apparently organised jointly by Jack A. Warner and Mohamed bin Hammam on 10 and 11 May 2011 and that the FIFA President would have had no issue with these.
Subsequently, the FIFA Ethics Committee today opened a procedure against the FIFA President in compliance with art. 16 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
Joseph S. Blatter has been invited to take position by 28 May 2011, 11:00 CET and to attend a hearing by the FIFA Ethics Committee at the Home of FIFA (Zurich) on 29 May 2011.
No additional comments will be made by FIFA until further notice.
FIFA to investigate Blatter as well
THE FIFA CORRPUTION saga took another twist this morning when football’s global governing body announced that it is expanding its ethics investigation to include the association’s president, Sepp Blatter.
The decision to investigate Blatter comes just two days after his sole rival in next week’s presidential election, Mohamed Bin Hammam, was informed that he was being investigated for making illegal payments.
The allegations relate to a meeting which Bin Hammam, a FIFA Executive Committee member, held on 10-11 May in Trinidad to lobby 25 Caribbean soccer leaders for their electoral support.
In a statement issued to deny the charges yesterday, Bin Hamman turned the tables on Blatter, accusing the Swiss chief of not opposing the payments in question once he had become aware of them and calling on the FIFA ethics committee to broaden the terms of its inquiry.
According to this morning’s FIFA statement, Bin Hammam told them that “FIFA Vice-President Jack A. Warner would have informed the FIFA President in advance about alleged cash payments to delegations attending a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union [...] and that the FIFA President would have had no issue with these.”
FIFA has subsequently decided to summon Blatter to appear at Sunday’s ethics hearing in Zurich.
The association is yet to confirm if next week’s presidential election, due to take place on 1 June, will now proceed as scheduled.
The statement in full reads as follows:
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Bribery Corruption ethics FIFA Jack Warner Mohamed Bin Hammam Political Football Sepp Blatter