FIFA ethics investigator Garcia resigns after slamming Blatter and other top officials

2014/12/18 11:33:01

< Photo: FIFA's ethics investigator Michael Garcia has resigned in protest of the handling of his report into the World Cup bidding process. "No independent Governance Committee, investigator, or arbitration panel can change the culture of an organization," Garcia said, pointing to two attempts by Sepp Blatter to fire him because of alleged wrongdoing that he had pointed out publicly.


By Nick Butler for Inside the Games website, Dec 17, 2014

 

Michael Garcia has resigned in protest of the handling of his report into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups as turmoil within football's world governing body deepens.

 

This follows the former United States attorney's appeal into German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert's summary of his 430-page investigative dossier, which effectively cleared 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar of any wrongdoing, being rejected yesterday.

 

Garcia claimed this 42-page summary was a false representation of his full report, which will not be made public.

 

"It now appears that, at least for the foreseeable future, the Eckert Decision will stand as the final word on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process," said Garcia.

 

"While the Appeal Committee's decision notes that further appeal may be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I have concluded that such a course of action would not be practicable in this case."

 

Garcia said he had lost confidence in the independence of Ethics Committee colleague Eckert and highlighted a "lack of leadership" at the highest levels of FIFA.

 

He also questioned whether the body could ever truly change after years of scandals and criticism.

 

"[The] Eckert Decision made me lose confidence in the independence of the Adjudicatory Chamber, [but] it is the lack of leadership on these issues within FIFA that leads me to conclude that my role in this process is at an end," Garcia said.

 

"No independent Governance Committee, investigator, or arbitration panel can change the culture of an organisation."

 

Garcia also claimed the FIFA Executive Committee, led by President Sepp Blatter, had tried to have disciplinary proceedings opened against him in September when he released details of watches given to officials during this summer's World Cup in Brazil, before the attempt was rejected by the chairman of the world governing body's Disciplinary Panel.

 

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