World football’s governing body FIFA’s ethics investigators on Friday opened formal proceedings against its former president Joseph Blatter, ex-secretary general Jerome Valcke and former deputy secretary general Markus Kattner.
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The FIFA ethics committee says it has opened a formal bribery case against former president Sepp Blatter and two others over million-dollar bonuses in their contracts.
It cited breaches of the FIFA’s code of ethics on bribery and corruption, rules of conduct, loyalty, conflicts of interest, gift offering and acceptances in examining the cases.
Soccer’s global governing body is attempting to recover from the worst graft scandal in its history which has seen 42 people, including former Federation Internationale de Football Association executive committee members, indicted in the United States since May a year ago.
Valcke’s lawyer declined comment while Blatter and Kattner could not immediately be reached although they have previously denied wrongdoing. It will also give Infantino another chance to show his commitment to a fresh start at FIFA’s Zurich headquarters.
Those 42 include Webb, ex-president of the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean, who has pleaded guilty in the United States to offences linked to racketeering, fraud and money laundering.
It went on: “Under the FIFA Code of Ethics, the investigatory chamber shall examine all circumstances of the cases equally”.
The probe follows a damning report earlier this year by law firm Quinn Emanuel which accused top officials of colluding to help themselves to CHF79 million ($80 million) worth of corrupt pay increases and bonus payments.
He has appealed to sport’s highest tribunal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and is awaiting a verdict.
The 80-year-old Blatter, who ran FIFA from 1998 to 2015, is now waiting for the result of his appeal against an existing ban from football for a payment he made to former protege and UEFA president Michel Platini.
It is also investigating former secretary generals Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner.
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Valcke’s 12-year ethics ban for various charges of financial misconduct and destroying evidence was later reduced to 10 years on appeal.
