Fifa ethics investigator resigns in protest after World Cup report appeal is rejected
The lead investigator into Fifa’s World Cup 2018 and 2022 corruption charges has quit after his protest over how his investigation was allegedly altered by a colleague, fell on deaf ears.
Garcia quits his role as Fifa investigator
American lawyer, Michael Garcia made the announcement on Wednesday, claiming to have lost confidence in the independence of ethics committee colleague, German judge Joachim Eckert, who was responsible for collating the final 42-page draft of Garcia’s investigation.
Speaking to AP, Garcia announced his resignation from the position: “For the first two years after my July 2012 appointment as independent chairman of the Fifa Ethics Committee's Investigatory Chamber, I felt that the Ethics Committee was making real progress in advancing ethics enforcement at Fifa. In recent months, that changed.
“Accordingly, effective today, December 17, 2014, I am resigning as independent chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Fifa ethics committee.”
The investigator cited Fifa’s “lack of leadership” and admitted he was facing an uphill struggle to alter the practises of football’s world governing body.
Speaking a day after Fifa rejected his appeal against the body’s decision to stand by the report, Garcia said: “I disagree with the appeal committee's decision. 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.”
Tensions came to a head earlier this year after Fifa announced that it will not be publishing the attorney’s findings. Notably, Garcia succeeded in launching prosecutions for World Cup corruption against five individuals, one of whom is German footballing legend Franz Beckenbauer.
Last month, several of Fifa's top sponsors, including Coca-Cola criticised the body for its lack of transparency with the report.
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