By Andrew Warshaw
May 5 – Amos Adamu, the Nigerian football powerbroker suspended by FIFA for alleged involvement in bribery and corruption, is taking his case to the sport’s highest court to overturn his three-year ban.
The veteran administrator was found guilty of seeking bribes during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process and the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed he has appealed.
Tonga’s Ahongalu Fusimalohi has also appealed his two-year ban, according to CAS.
“In both cases, the appellants request that they be found not guilty and the sanctions against them be annulled,” the Court said in a brief statement.
No hearing has yet been fixed for either case but Adamu seems determined to go to any lengths to clear his name rather than accept his punishment.
Already in February, FIFA’s Appeal Committee upheld the earlier decision to ban the Nigerian, taken by the Ethics Committee two months previously.
Adamu, arguably the most powerful African administrator after Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Issa Hayatou, was both a FIFA Executive Committee member and President of the West African Football Union.
He was suspended before the December World Cup vote, along with fellow Executive Committee member Reynald Temarii from Tahiti.
Both were barred from participating in the controversial ballot for the World Cup.
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