By Andrew Warshaw
October 10 – Sri Lanka’s former FIFA executive committee member Vernon Manilal Fernando, regarded in some quarters as the Godfather of the region, has been banned for life by the governing body.
Fernando’s appeal to overturn an original eight-year ban on him failed disastrously as FIFA’s appeal panel instead upheld a request from ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia to increase the ban on the former Sri Lankan FA chairman to a lifetime sanction.
In April, Fernando was banned for eight months in the wake of an investigation that opened in October 2012. His original suspension was thought at the time to be related to investigations into former Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam – a close associate of Fernando – who was also banned for life after resigning from all his footballing roles.
Bin Hammam was originally banned for his role in the cash-for-votes scandal of 2011. That was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, only for FIFA to impose the same sanction once again, this time for financial wrongdoing linked to the leadership of the AFC.
In Fernando’s case, FIFA have never explained precisely how the burly Sri Lankan violated its code of ethics or why it won’t make such violations public, a point that is bound to be contested by Fernando’s supporters. It is understood, though not confirmed, that Fernando’s ban is connected to alleged misuse of AFC funds.
In a brief statement FIFA said: “The lifetime ban has been imposed on Mr Fernando for violations of art. 13 (General rules of conduct), art. 19 (Conflicts of interest), art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits), art. 21 (Bribery and corruption), and art. 42 (General obligation to collaborate) of the FIFA Code of Ethics, 2012 edition.”
Fernando’s place on the FIFA exco is currently being taken by China’s Zhang Jilong who is serving the remainder of the term, which expires in 2015.
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