SIGA Strives 16: Integrity body issues a call for youth engagement to #TakeCharge
May 7 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has issued a call to the world’s youth to “rise up and drive change” within the sporting industry.
Integrity
Swiss politicians call for FIFA investigation-bungler Lauber to be fired
May 4 – More Swiss parliamentarians have joined calls for the nation’s attorney general Michael Lauber to resign after the five-year statute of limitations in the 2006 World Cup fraud investigation expired last week with no verdicts.
US women to appeal after Californian judge dismisses equal pay case
May 4 – The US women’s national squad have vowed to continue their fight after their globally publicised claims for equal pay were dismissed by a landmark court ruling, handing a significant victory to the United States Soccer Federation.
Money laundering Israeli Bank Hapoalim pays $30m to US Justice Dept in FIFAgate deal
By Andrew Warshaw
May 1 – In a new and unexpected twist to the FIFAgate scandal that the current regime of Gianni Infantino is determined to move on from, Israel’s largest bank, Hapoalim, has been dramatically dragged into the long-running saga by agreeing to pay $30 million for its previously unknown role in money laundering.
Haitian FA boss Jean-Bart accused of sexual abuse
May 1 – The man who has run football in Haiti for the best part of two decades has been accused of sexual abuse in a damning report in Britain’s Guardian newspaper.
Failed Swiss prosecutors leak Blatter knew Warner was enriching himself
April 30 – A new twist has emerged in the criminal case against former FIFA president Sepp Blatter that was recently dropped, further calling into question the efficacity of the Swiss justice department that has been under severe scrutiny in recent months.
FIFA fury over collapse of Germany 2006 World Cup bribery case
By Andrew Warshaw
April 28 – In a rare intervention indicative of its frustration verging on anger, FIFA has slammed the collapse of the 2006 World Cup fraud trial in Switzerland that allowed three prominent former German football supremos to escape a verdict.
Swiss parliamentarians start procedure for dismissal of Lauber
April 29 – Conservative Swiss MP Lorenz Hess has filed a request for a dismissal procedure to be initiated against the nation’s attorney general Michael Lauber (pictured), who has come under severe pressure after the five-year statute of limitations in the 2006 World Cup fraud investigation expired on Monday.
Al-Khelaïfi and Valcke get court date; beIN boss demands prosecutors removed and files own criminal complaint
April 29 – The seemingly on-off Swiss prosecution of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (pictured), boss of beIN Media and president of Paris St Germain, has taken further twists this week with Swiss justice saying he will be tried in court in September. Al-Khelaïfi’s lawyers had already filed a request for the removal of ‘compromised’ federal prosecutors, as well as filing their own criminal complaint.
Lauber under renewed pressure as 2006 World Cup fraud case runs out of time
By Andrew Warshaw
April 28 – Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber is facing calls for his resignation amidst accusations that the entire Swiss criminal justice system has been undermined over the botched 2006 World Cup tax fraud investigation. The case briefly came to trial following a five-year investigation but has now controversially collapsed.
Panama Papers, off-shore TV rights deals and Lauber meeting cover-ups return to bite Infantino
By Andrew Warshaw
April 28 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino is once again facing allegations of wrongdoing in his dealings with Switzerland’s under-fire attorney general Michael Lauber over a tv rights contract he handled when he worked as UEFA’s legal affairs director.
SIGA Strives 14 – Integrity group demands EU support plan must be tansparent
April 28 – Following a meeting of EU leaders and government ministers in charge of sport, SIGA chairman Franco Frattini and CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros have written an Open Letter to the meeting participants encouraging them to ensure sports integrity is part of the package of support that the EU is planning to provide to member states.
Former club officials and players at Osasuna and Real Betis jailed for matchfixing
April 24 – In a landmark ruling, nine former executives, players, and businessmen including five former directors of Osasuna and two ex-Real Betis players have been handed prison sentences after being found guilty of being involved in match-fixing – the first time ever that sporting corruption has led to jail terms in Spain.
UEFA’s Foundation for Children mark 5 years and 1m youth reached in 100 countries
April 24 – UEFA may be concentrating on how it grapples with the effects of Covid-19 but away from the pandemic, today marks the fifth anniversary of the organisation’s Foundation for Children, using football as a tool to aid vulnerable kids particularly in less-privileged parts of the world.
SIGA Strives 13: Integrity body and UNESCO partner to build case for government money
April 24 – UNESCO has partnered with the Sports Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) to build a ”business case for sport integrity”.