Adamugate: FIFA begins three-day hearing

Amos Adamu
The ethics committee of the world soccer’s governing body, FIFA will today begin a three-day hearing to determine whether two voters and at least two candidates should be barred from the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests for alleged corruption.
Amos Adamu and co-accused Reynald Temarii will appear before the panel to argue their case in the unprecedented session in Zurich. This is come ahead of the December 2 voting to determine who hosts the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.
The independent panel led by lawyer and former Switzerland player Claudio Sulser gets its authority from the executive committee chaired by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
FIFA statutes allow ethics decisions to be challenged at its appeal committee and then before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Blatter has said the ethics probe should “bring back credibility to football.”
That process has been rocked by allegations made by the Britain’s Sunday Times last month.
The newspaper published secretly filmed interviews with current and former FIFA officials that suggested voters could be bribed, and that bidders were flouting the rules by striking vote-trading pacts.
Adamu and Temarii have both stressed their innocence and expressed confidence that the ethics panel will find no conclusive evidence of corruption.
“I have no doubt that I will vote on Dec. 2,” said Temarii.
Temarii, the Tahitian president of Oceania’s confederation, and Amos Adamu of Nigeria were filmed in an undercover sting that appeared to show them offering their votes for sale in exchange for soccer projects at home.
The ethics committee also will consider cases against four former FIFA executive committee members who, like Temarii and Adamu, are serving provisional suspensions from soccer duty.
Tunisian lawyer Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite of Mali, Botswana’s Ismail Bhamjee and Ahongalu Fusimalohi from Tonga all reportedly advised undercover reporters how to bribe FIFA voters and how much to pay.
Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/adamugate-fifa-begins-three-day-hearing/