Michael J Garcia, former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, was employed for two years by Fifa to investigate allegations of corruption over the selection of Russia and Qatar as the venues for the next two World Cups. But he resigned in December after the organisation published an edited version of his 350-page report which he said contained 'numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions'.
Illegal pratices unearthed
Following the arrest of several Fifa officials by the US authorities, US Senator Chuck Schumer has called for the release of the full Garcia report. He said: 'In light of the recent federal indictments by the United States Department of Justice, it is critical that Fifa release the full report....The public has a right to know what unethical and illegal practices Garcia unearthed in the full report.' There is pressure to ensure that all allegations are made public before elections are run for the next Fifa president.
Explosive
Richard Caborn, former sports minister in the UK, said that Mr Garcia's report could be 'more explosive' than allegations made by former Fifa vice president Jack Warner. Mr Warner says he fears for his life and that he can link Fifa to national elections in his native Trinidad. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Caborn said: 'Everybody in football ought to be demanding that report ought to be published before the [upcoming Fifa] election.' Magazine Newsweek has made a similar call.
Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
