FIFA NEWS - FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee notes the President’s Sepp Blatter's decision to step down

FIFA president Sepp Blatter dropped the bomb and will step down - Roosewelt Pinheiro/Abr Photo

In what has been a chaotic week in the world of International football and major news in general after much controversy FIFA President Sepp Blatter made a shocking decision to step down from his post. The move comes after arrests of several FIFA officials and alleged corruption in the organization were made this past week

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

The following are press releases by FIFA regarding the recent events that led up to its newly reelected President Sepp Blatter to state that he will resign from his position. The release dates are noted for each release.

Tuesday, June 02, 2015

The investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee takes note of the FIFA President’s announcement that he will be stepping down. The chamber will continue its mandate along with the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee of consistently ensuring compliance with FIFA’s Code of Ethics and will make this its highest priority, regardless of who is President. The body’s independence from the President, regardless of who is exercising this function, is a key part of good corporate governance.

Monday, June 01, 2015

FIFA Statement on the South African Diaspora Legacy Programme

Following claims made by the US authorities in relation to a USD 10m payment made by FIFA on behalf of the South African Football Association FIFA comments as follows:

In 2007, as part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the South African Government approved a USD 10m project to support the African diaspora in Caribbean countries as part of the World Cup legacy.

At the request of the South African Government, and in agreement with the South African Football Association (SAFA), FIFA was asked to process the project’s funding by withholding USD 10m from the Local Organising Committee’s (LOC) operational budget and using that to finance the Diaspora Legacy Programme.

SAFA instructed FIFA that the Diaspora Legacy Programme should be administered and implemented directly by the President of CONCACAF who at that time was Deputy Chairman of the Finance Committee and who should act as the fiduciary of the Diaspora Legacy Programme Fund of USD 10m.

The payments totalling USD 10m were authorised by the then chairman of the Finance Committee and executed in accordance with the Organisation Regulations of FIFA. FIFA did not incur any costs as a result of South Africa’s request because the funds belonged to the LOC. Both the LOC and SAFA adhered to the necessary formalities for the budgetary amendment.

Neither the Secretary General Jérôme Valcke nor any other member of FIFA’s senior management were involved in the initiation, approval and implementation of the above project.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

FIFA is fully cooperating as injured party in the actions by Swiss authorities

FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football. We understand that today’s actions by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice on behalf of the US authorities and the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (initiated by FIFA through the submission of the file on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process) relate to different matters.

Firstly, the arrest of six individuals this morning in Zurich concerns investigations by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of the State of New York. The Swiss authorities, acting on behalf of their US counterparts, arrested the individuals for activities carried out in relation with CONCACAF and CONMEBOL business.

The second instance follows FIFA’s initiative of presenting the file on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process to the Swiss Office of the Attorney General in November 2014. The authorities are taking the opportunity of the FIFA Congress to interview those FIFA Executive Committee members who are not Swiss residents who voted back in 2010 and are still in office.

Today, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General announced that it has opened criminal proceedings against persons unknown in relation to the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process. FIFA is fully cooperating with the investigation and is supporting the collection of evidence in this regard. As noted by the Swiss authorities, this collection of evidence is being carried out on a cooperative basis.

We are pleased to see that the investigation is being energetically pursued for the good of football and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken.

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