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FIFA kickbacks document can be released: report

FIFA officials have decided to accept a Swiss court decision clearing the way for the release of a document naming football officials who took millions of dollars in kickbacks from World Cup broadcast deals.

World football’s ruling body stated in a statement Tuesday it has “taken note” of the court decision and will not appeal “as it corresponds to the position” taken by the Zurich-based organization and its president, Sepp Blatter.

Officials added, however, that they would not have any comment on the document’s contents until its release has been cleared by the court.

The decision by a canton (state) Zug court was reported Tuesday by Zurich business weekly Handelszeitung. It rejects multiple appeals blocking the publication of the documents. The latest decision is now open to further appeal for 30 days.

The document in question details a settlement announced in June 2010 whereby senior football officials admitted taking kickbacks and repaid $6.1 million. The officials repaid the money on condition that their identities remained anonymous.

It reportedly implicates former FIFA president Joao Havelange and Ricardo Teixeira, the 2014 World Cup organizing committee president.

FIFA had planned to release the court papers on Dec. 17 but “legal measures taken” by a party involved in the 10-year-old ISL scandal prevented publication.

Dealing with the ISL case became a signature test of Blatter’s promised willingness to reform FIFA and world soccer after a slew of scandals involving bribery, vote-rigging and ticket scams.

Blatter promised in October to publish the document after his executive committee met Dec. 16-17 in Tokyo.

“It was my strong will to make the ISL file fully transparent at this meeting,” Blatter stated in a statement on Dec. 7. “I have now been advised that as a result of the objection of a third party to such transparency it will take more time to overcome the respective legal hurdles.

“This does not change my stance at all. I remain fully committed to publishing the files as soon as possible.”

Blatter’s promise of publication was initially met with skepticism by veteran FIFA watchers. However, Blatter and FIFA officials insisted in recent weeks that the 41-page German-language document from the Zug court would be translated into English, French and Spanish and then published.

Blatter has stated he was cleared of any wrongdoing in all aspects of the ISL case. Still, the court document could give details of his awareness of kickbacks being paid at a time when commercial bribery was not a crime in Switzerland.

More Source:

FIFA set to release kickbacks files on World Cup deals - News | FOX ...
FIFA adviser urges publishing kickbacks document | Fox News
Council of Europe calls for investigation into FIFA president
FIFA adviser urges publishing kickbacks document | Deseret News

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Submited at Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 at 6:00 pm on Sports by ethan
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