Football
ESPN staff 9y

FIFA files criminal complaint over 2018, 2022 World Cup bidding

FIFA has lodged a criminal complaint with the Swiss attorney general over the "possible misconduct of individual persons" in bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

FIFA's ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert last week published his summary of an investigation by the chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, Michael Garcia. The summary highlighted concerns over the bidding process in relation to some countries, though Garcia has since lodged an appeal against the way his report was interpreted.

Eckert and Garcia are reported to be meeting on Thursday to discuss the bidding probe.

Eckert has moved to explain the situation in a statement on FIFA's website, and he also responded to criticism that he has not handled Garcia's report correctly.

"During my analysis of the report from the chairman and deputy chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA ethics committee, I came across indications that pointed to suspected unlawful activity in connection with Switzerland," he said. "In the circumstances, I saw it as my duty to bring this to the FIFA president's attention and to recommend to him that the Swiss criminal prosecution authorities be informed.

"I would like to point out that not once did my statement involve a so-called 'whitewashing' of the award process with regard to the various allegations and assumptions made, contrary to what has been claimed in some quarters. My statement was based on the Garcia report -- I can only work with the material contained in it, and in my view, there was insufficient clear evidence of illegal or irregular conduct that would call into question the integrity of the award process as a whole.

"However, in certain places, the report does indicate that further clarification is needed of certain circumstances. Much of this clarification work can be carried out by the FIFA ethics committee itself, while the remainder is the responsibility of the relevant national investigatory authorities."

Eckert also defended the work of the ethics panel, saying that its investigatory board "has done a comprehensive and thorough job. I fully respect the work it has done, as I am aware of the factual and legal problems associated with the investigations. However, in my opinion, there is insufficient incriminating evidence to justify calling into question the entire award process. Nevertheless, there are indications of potential illegal or irregular conduct in certain areas, which must now be followed up both internally by FIFA and by the relevant national criminal prosecution authorities."

In relation to a question about the time it has taken to raise a criminal case, and why it was not done last week when the report summary was published, Eckert added: "The report is several hundred pages long and there are extensive annexes. I had to build a full picture so that I could be sure that I would not draw any premature conclusions. I gave my recommendation to FIFA to lodge a criminal complaint more or less at the same time as the publication of my statement."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in a separate statement, refused to name anyone involved.

"I lodged the criminal complaint upon the recommendation of Judge Eckert," Blatter said. "I cannot, however, comment on any possible criminal offences. I am not a lawyer. I also was not the addressee of the investigatory report, which I have never seen. However, given Judge Eckert's recommendation, it was my duty -- as the president of FIFA -- to lodge the complaint."

Asked whether the involvement of state authorities reflected a poor investigative performance by the federation's bodies, Blatter said he supported FIFA's process.

"I have every faith in the work of the independent chambers of the FIFA ethics committee and their chairmen," Blatter said. "They have done good work until now, and I have no doubt whatsoever that they will continue to do so. I must note, however, that the ethics committee has certain limitations. As a body of a private institution, it does not have the same options as a public prosecutor. But when the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee -- himself a judge -- recommends calling upon state authorities after a certain point, then of course I listen to him."

Blatter also said he did not doubt the thoroughness of the work done by the ethics committee.

"In such situations, however, the options within the federation are obviously exhausted at some point," Blatter said. "Michael Garcia has delivered his report, and Judge Eckert has assessed it and issued his statement on it. He has also concluded that the Office of the Attorney General needs to conduct further investigations into certain issues. That is no doubt correct, and I am relying upon his judgement here.

"Michael Garcia can of course still conduct further internal FIFA investigations into individuals if he deems this to be necessary in the light of his report. Furthermore, there is no change to judge Eckert's statement that the investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups is concluded."

Blatter stressed that FIFA has no plans to make the Garcia report public.

"If FIFA were to publish the report, we would be violating our own association law as well as state law," Blatter said. "The people who are demanding in the media and elsewhere that FIFA publish the report are obviously of the opinion that FIFA should or must ignore the law in this regard. We obviously cannot do that. FIFA's headquarters are in a constitutional state, and we therefore have to abide by the country's laws."

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