Temarii confident of overturning FIFA ban
Reuters - Thursday 13 January 2011, 07:03
AUCKLAND - Banned FIFA Vice President
Reynald Temarii is confident a 12-month suspension for his
part in an alleged votes-for-cash scandal will be overturned,
possibly as early as next month.
Temarii and Amos Adamu were suspended after allegations
they had offered to sell their votes in the contest to host
the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to undercover reporters from
Britain's Sunday Times.
Russia was awarded the 2018 World Cup finals, while Qatar
won the hosting rights for the 2022 tournament.
The Oceania Football Confederation president said at the
time he had been cleared of all corruption charges by world football's governing body but had not been told why he had been
suspended.
He confirmed on Thursday he had now been notified as to
the reasons for his suspension.
"I received a letter from FIFA on Dec. 30, 2010, and I
have been cleared from all corruption allegations," Temarii
told Fairfax newspapers in New Zealand on Thursday.
"The ethics committee have accused me of breaching FIFA
confidentiality and loyalty, with which I totally disagree.
"Out of the passionate debates around the World Cup voting
process I hope a meeting, possibly next month, will see FIFA's
appeal committee realise I have not breached any articles
within the code of ethics, nor did have the intention to."
The OFC will hold their annual congress in Pago Pago,
American Samoa, over the weekend, where a new OFC president
will be elected to replace Temarii.
Acting president David Chung of Papua New Guinea and New
Zealand duo Frank van Hattum and Fred De Jong have all said
they were interested in the position.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter will also attend the meeting.