FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong-joon said on Wednesday that payments he made to Haiti and Pakistan
in '10 were "charitable donations" and any attempt to use them as part
of a reported ethics investigation was "cynical and unethical," according to Peter Rutherford of REUTERS. Responding
to media reports that FIFA was investigating
the South Korean billionaire over the "disaster relief" funds, Chung
said in a statement that "he had been donating money to causes at home and
abroad since the 1990s." The statement said, "Recent
media reports allege that FIFA has started an investigation into FIFA
Honorary Vice President Dr. Chung Mong-Joon’s 2010 donations to disaster
relief funds to Haiti and Pakistan. If
these reports are true, we condemn this as a cynical and unethical
effort by FIFA to misrepresent even charitable donations for political
manipulation." FIFA's
ethics committee "does not comment on ongoing cases and there has been no
confirmation from the governing body that Chung is in their crosshairs" (REUTERS, 8/19). The AP's Graham Dunbar wrote Chung was FIFA's VP of Asia five years ago when he pledged $400,000 "for football projects in Pakistan after floods there." The Asian Football Confederation also gave $250,000 "to be overseen by the Pakistan Football Federation." However, the Asian body wrote to the PFF that "it sent FIFA ethics investigators details about unspent donations, according to a letter dated June 17." AFC Interim General Secretary Windsor John wrote the donations "have not been used for (their) original purpose, i.e. for the construction of a football center in the district of Jhang." The Pakistani football body told the AFC that "the project stalled because land is not yet available" (AP, 8/19). REUTERS reported FIFA exec committee member Kozo Tashima said that Chung "cannot bank on the support" of neighboring Japan. Tashima said that "he was pleased his good friend Chung was standing for president," but suggested that Japan would instead vote at the Feb. 26 election for UEFA President Michel Platini to head world football's governing body (REUTERS, 8/19).
