By Paul Nicholson
July 14 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino is to be interviewed by ethics investigators, believed to be today (Friday), over allegations that he has breached the FIFA’s code of ethics regarding his expenses and use of private jets.
A BBC report says that Infantino will meet with Robert Torres, a member of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA ethics committee. It is believed that already 18 interviews have been undertaken in this investigation.
It has been rumoured for a number of weeks that Infantino was under preliminary investigation. A full investigation would only be opened if there were sufficient evidence of ethics breaches.
Infantino’s presidency has been plagued by controversy from its start. It reached fever-pitch at FIFA’s Congress in Mexico in May when he rail-roaded through the appointment of Fatma Samoura as FIFA’s new general secretary, followed moments later by a change in statue removing the independence of the ‘independent’ FIFA ethics committee, effectively allowing him to pick its members.
This was followed by the ‘Mexico tapes’, a copy of which he had ordered to be destroyed, that detailed his behind-the-scenes manoeuvring to remove then head of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance body Domenico Scala, a key figure in drafting the FIFA reforms that had been passed in February.
Having seemingly come through that (almost) unscathed, he was then hit with more allegations when an email was leaked detailing use of private jets during a visit to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar, that raising questions of a potential conflict of interest.
He also used a private jet to visit the Pope after the UEFA Champions League. That jet was allegedly provided by a Russian oligarch though he has been denied it was his jet. But someone did provide the jet and someone paid for it.
Details of Infantino’s expenses in the leaked email included use of a second chauffeur driven car for his family on top of the FIFA pool car and driver already supplied, £8,795 for mattresses for his home, £6,829 on a stepper exercise machine, £1,086 for a tuxedo and £677 on flowers.
A FIFA spokesperson said: “The FIFA president has stated publicly he fully respects the independence and work of the ethics committee and that he would provide, if required, whatever information necessary to facilitate any potential review by the committee.
“The president has made clear that he has acted appropriately and in accordance with FIFA’s code of ethics.”
Infantino’s people talk of a vendetta against him though with so many allegations being made at a consistent pace it is hard ignore.
The BBC reports that external legal counsel was hired by FIFA to provide an independent assessment of the claims against Infantino. That counsel is believed to have concluded he has no case to answer.
Infantino in fact boasted to his own Council members that complaints had been made to the ethics committee about him but that they had been thrown in the bin. But that asks the question of how did he know about those complaints if the ethics process is meant to be confidential and whistleblowers guaranteed anonymity.
10 days ago FIFA was accused of cleaning house when Samoura fired the head of FIFA’s travel department, Severin Podolak, and chief of the general secretary’s office, Christoph Schmidt, allegedly after becoming whistleblowers by giving evidence to FIFA’s ethics committee.
FIFA said in an emailed statement that any changes in personnel were as a result of internal restructuring.
“As in any organisation requiring thorough restructuring new positions will be created by the new leadership as part of the programme of reforms adopted by the congress and (a) few positions will be terminated as they do no longer fit to the organisation overall restructuring process,” the statement said.
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