Former FIFA chief calls for external probe
Reuters - Sunday 24 October 2010, 21:36
GENEVA - Former FIFA secretary-general
Michel Zen-Ruffinen called on Sunday for football's governing body
to allow an external investigation into the contest to host the
2018 and 2022 World Cups following allegations of vote-selling.
FIFA's own ethics committee, headed by former Switzerland
international forward Claudio Sulser, is carrying out an inquiry
and is due to make a final ruling in mid-November.
"The problem stems from the fact that when it comes to
taking decisions to eradicate corruption, these decisions are
delegated to an internal organ - that is, a body that is also
part of FIFA," Zen-Ruffinen told French-language Swiss
television channel TSR.
"I think it is the biggest problem. If one wants to
eliminate corruption from FIFA, as the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) succeeded in doing itself when there was a
problem surrounding the organisation of the Olympic Games, the
mandate has to be given to an outside body."
Zen-Ruffinen was FIFA general secretary from 1998 until 2002
when he left after accusing president Sepp Blatter of
mismanaging the organisation.
He spoke on Sunday four days after FIFA's ethics committee
provisionally suspended executive committee members Amos Adamu
of Nigeria and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii.
Both have denied wrongdoing and said they expect to be
cleared.
Zen-Ruffinen became involved in the story himself when the
Sunday Times newspaper posted a film of him talking to
undercover reporters.
"I confirm it was me, but it should be placed in the context
of what happened," said Zen-Ruffinen.
"It was a discussion in the framework of a contractual
relationship, a discussion that was totally confidential, held
in a place that was not accessible to other people."
Voting on the World Cup hosts is restricted to the members
of FIFA's executive committee. The decision will be made on December
2.
FIFA is also investigating allegations that two unnamed
candidates have broken the rules by acting in collusion.
England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands are
bidding to host the 2018 World Cup while Japan, South Korea,
Australia, United States and Qatar are candidates for 2022.