FIFA questions Council of Europe motion
Reuters - Wednesday 07 March 2012, 20:08
FIFA said there were "certain
inaccuracies" in a Council of Europe advisory panel motion
calling for an internal investigation of Sepp Blatter's
re-election as president last year.
The Council of Europe's committee on culture, science,
education and media said earlier on Wednesday that FIFA should
investigate whether "the successful candidate" had exploited his
position to obtain "unfair advantages" during last year's
election.
The committee added that FIFA should "cast full light on the
facts underlying the various scandals which, in recent years,
have tarnished its image and that of international football."
FIFA replied in a statement that its own ethics committee
had cleared Blatter of any wrongdoing in the presidential
election which he won unopposed after rival Mohamed Bin Hammam
withdrew amid cash-for-votes allegations.
Bin Hammam was later banned for life following an ethics
committee hearing, it added.
"Regarding the process of reform, a clear road map has been
established and published by FIFA and several task forces as
well as an independent governance committee are working on
proposals that will be presented already at the FIFA executive
committee at the end of March 2012," FIFA said.
It said the proposals would be submitted to this year's FIFA
Congress in Budapest in May.