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FIFA Rejects Investigator Michael Garcia's Appeal Into Ethics Judge's Findings

FIFA investigator Michael Garcia, who led the investigation into the bidding process surrounding the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, "has had his appeal against the findings dismissed as 'inadmissable'" by FIFA's appeals committee, according to James Masters of the LONDON TIMES. Garcia launched the appeal last month after he claimed that a statement released by FIFA Ethics Judge Hans-Joachim Eckert contained "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions." According to a statement provided by the appeals committee, Eckert's summary "was not legally-binding and so could not be appealed against." Garcia could yet take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport "but this latest verdict was not wholly unexpected" as FIFA's exec committee prepares to meet in Morocco on Wednesday (LONDON TIMES, 12/16). REUTERS' Brian Homewood wrote they also decided that FIFA Audit & Compliance Committee Chair Domenico Scala "should decide how much of Garcia's report will be presented to FIFA's executive committee, whose next meeting is in Marrakech on Friday" (REUTERS, 12/16). In London, Roger Blitz wrote Garcia "spent two years investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups." FIFA "rejected numerous calls for the 350-page Garcia report to be published because of legal issues." FIFA "also dismissed complaints by two whistleblowers that the Eckert statement had breached their confidentiality." Its disciplinary panel ruled that the two had “gone public with their own media activities” well before publication of the Eckert statement (FINANCIAL TIMES, 12/16). The AP's Graham Dunbar wrote the ruling "was published less than one hour after FIFA announced a disciplinary committee judgment dismissing complaints by two whistleblowers." The timing of the decisions -- as FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his board gather in Marrakech, Morocco -- "will further fuel skepticism." FIFA insists that "its judicial bodies are independent and not subject to any influence within its Zurich headquarters." Still, the two rulings "will help set the agenda ahead of the two-day board meeting starting Thursday, which appears weighted against reformers seeking greater transparency" (AP, 12/16).

NO SUBSTANCE: BLOOMBERG's Christopher Elser wrote FIFA said Disciplinary Committee Chair Claudio Sulser "reviewed all provided material and stressed that" the breach of confidentiality claim "had no substance." The FIFA statement said, “What is more, no names were mentioned in the statement and any information provided was of a general nature.” Phaedra Al Majid and Bonita Mersiades, former communications staff members with the Qatari and Australian bids, "met with Garcia during his investigation of the award of hosting rights to Russia and Qatar in December 2010." They said in separate appeals to FIFA that Eckert’s report "provided enough details about the women to make them easily identifiable" (BLOOMBERG, 12/16).

BREAKING THE RULES: In London, Owen Gibson wrote Al Majid, who said that her confidentiality had been breached and her safety compromised by FIFA's investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, has called its dismissal of her complaint “a transparent avoidance of a clear violation of its own rules.” Almajid said, "I cooperated with Mr. Garcia’s investigation for over two and a half years under a clear, unqualified promise of confidentiality. He asked me for my confidentiality and repeatedly promised me mine. I kept my promise. Herr Eckert breached that confidentiality. I did not" (GUARDIAN, 12/16).

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