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| May 5, 2002 | Sunday | Safar 21, 1423 |
FIFA chief accused of corruption
ZURICH, May 4: FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been accused of corruption by the general secretary of world soccer’s governing body Michel Zen-Ruffinen in an explosive report presented to the executive committee.
Zen-Ruffinen alleges in his “strictly confidential” 21-page dossier — obtained by Reuters — that the 66-year-old Blatter has systematically mismanaged FIFA by deception, illegal payments, violating the statutes and cronysim since becoming president in 1998.
Blatter, who was travelling to China on Saturday, could not be reached for comment by Reuters.
FIFA’s Swiss president is standing for re-election on May 29 against Issa Hayatou of Cameroon.
Zen-Ruffinen has given Blatter one week to reply to all the allegations, or else he will place the matter in the hands of the Swiss authorities.
Blatter responded to Zen-Ruffinen’s allegations by saying at a news confe-rence on Friday attended by both men: “There is no crisis at FIFA this is all a total misunderstanding. I will reply in writing within a week.”
Zen-Ruffinen goes into minute detail in his charges which he has backed with filed evidence and affidavits from witnesses.
Under the heading “Corruption”, Zen-Ruffinen says Blatter made “an undue payment to an executive committee member”.
Zen-Ruffinen also alleges that Blatter paid money to a former FIFA referee for making statements about Farah Addo of Somalia, vice president of the African Football Confederation.
Addo, who is leading the campaign for Hayatou to replace Blatter, has made allegations against the FIFA president, which a Swiss court last month ordered him not to repeat.—Reuters
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