MPs accuse FIFA and Blatter of cover-up
Reuters - Tuesday 05 July 2011, 00:00
LONDON - A British Government inquiry into
corruption allegations surrounding World Cup bids has accused
FIFA of trying to brush aside the evidence and has questioned
president Sepp Blatter's commitment to reforming the
organisation.
The 31-page report, issued by a House of Commons Select
Committee, has called for FIFA to "commission a full, urgent and
independent investigation" into the allegations surrounding the
bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
It also says it finds FIFA's decision to drop investigations
into alleged wrongdoing by Jack Warner of Trinidad & Tobago, who
resigned from FIFA's Executive Committee last month after 28
years rather than face corruption charges, as "extraordinary."
Among a number of conclusions, the report states: "We were
appalled by the allegations of corruption made against members
of the FIFA Executive Committee during the course of our
inquiry.
"Although they have been challenged in other evidence, they
are sufficiently serious for FIFA to commission a full, urgent
and independent investigation and for the outcome to be made
public.
"Instead, FIFA has given every impression of wishing to
sweep all allegations of misconduct under the carpet and
dismissing anyone bringing allegations to them with an approach
bordering on contempt."
The report urges FIFA to review its bidding process for
future World Cups and to reform itself as the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) did following allegations of bribery and
corruption into Salt Lake City's bid to host the 2002 Winter
Olympic Games.
However, the report said Blatter's record did not inspire
confidence that this would happen.
"We look to him now to fulfil the undertakings he gave at
the time of his re-election to the presidency," it said. "We
urge the FA, and other national associations to ensure he is
held to account for them."
Committee member Damian Collins MP told Reuters in a
telephone interview prior to the report's publication: "We are
very concerned at the contempt FIFA showed when the evidence was
presented to them. It is absolutely shocking at how little
scrutiny there is of how FIFA executive members go about their
business.
"FIFA may govern football, but it does not own football, and
the way it operates would not be acceptable in any other
organisation. FIFA needs to be far more transparent."
ENGLAND'S FAILURE
Initially, the inquiry, comprising MPs on the Culture, Media
and Sport Committee, was set up to examine how the game is run
in England and to examine the failure of England's bid to stage
the 2018 World Cup which was awarded to Russia last December. On
the same day, FIFA awarded the 2022 finals to Qatar.
Subsequently in May, David Triesman, the former chairman of
the English FA, gave evidence to the committee alleging that
four members of the FIFA Executive Committee had demanded
favours in return for voting for England.
Allegations made by the Sunday Times newspaper were also
raised during the inquiry. Collins added that the way FIFA had
dismissed those allegations was "hugely disappointing."
As well as being critical of FIFA, the report is also
critical of Triesman, whose allegations in May against FIFA Executive Committee members Warner, Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay,
Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil and Worawi Makudi of Thailand made
headlines across the world and set alarm bells ringing.
Triesman resigned as FA chairman in May last year after
being taped making what proved to be unfounded allegations
against 2018 bid rivals Russia and Spain.
He told the Committee he did not make his allegations
earlier for fear of harming England's bid, but following his
assertions to the Committee regarding the four FIFA members, the
English FA commissioned a report into his allegations, which
could not be backed up.
The committee added: "It is frustrating and disappointing
that Lord Triesman did not see fit to raise his
allegations... when he first became aware of them. We welcome the
undertaking he gave us that he would now raise his allegations
with FIFA so that it could conduct an investigation."
The Committee has also recommended that the English FA
conducts a review into the failures of the World Cup bid, which
cost the FA and local councils more than 17 million pounds and ended up securing just two votes, one from
England's own representatives, when the vote was taken by the
executive committee, in Zurich on December 2 last year.
ANOTHER DECADE
Under current FIFA rules, after Russia hosts the 2018 World
Cup, it will not return to Europe until 2030.
The report concludes that English influence in FIFA and in
European's football's governing body UEFA is poor due to a number
of historic and current perceptions including an arrogant
approach to other countries.
With no bids possible for a World Cup for at least another
decade, the committee recommends: "The FA can perhaps afford to
play a long game, and to consolidate its position as a leading
internal advocate of FIFA reform."
The FA gave a statement in response to the report.
"We have always acknowledged the level of disappointment
amongst the public and everyone who was involved in the
unsuccessful England 2018 Bid, particularly when we were very
confident England's technical bid was the strongest following
feedback from FIFA's inspection group," it said.
"Our focus is now on ensuring that the FA and all of English
football work towards building stronger and more enduring
international relationships.
"We can confirm that the FA chairman David Bernstein has
began a process of evaluating our current representation on FIFA
and UEFA committees, while determining how we can best
strengthen our international relationships, both formally and
informally."