ＦＩＦＡ会長に規定違反の証拠なし、倫理委員会

【ローザンヌＡＦＰ＝時事】国際サッカー連盟（FIFA）の倫理委員会は19日、スイスの元検事総長と不正に談合した疑いで捜査を受けているジャンニ・インファンティーノ会長に対する審議を打ち切ると発表した。（写真は国際サッカー連盟のジャンニ・インファンティーノ会長。資料写真）
　ＦＩＦＡは発表文の中で「関連する書類や証拠を調査した結果、ＦＩＦＡ倫理規定違反の疑いに関する一応の証拠がないことが明白であるため、調査委員会の委員長は異議を申し立て、この件を打ち切った」と記した。
　２０１６年に就任したインファンティーノ会長に対しては、ＦＩＦＡを対象とした汚職捜査の対応をめぐって前月辞任していたミヒャエル・ラウバー元検事総長との間に談合があったとして、刑事訴訟手続きが開始されていた。
　しかし、独立した裁定機関である倫理委員会は、この疑惑をより追及するには証拠が不十分だと判断した。
　スイス検察当局からの捜査を受ける中、インファンティーノ会長は「隠すことは何もない」と主張していた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/08/20-16:25）

FIFA's ethics committee on Wednesday decided to close its case against president Gianni Infantino, who is facing a criminal probe in Switzerland over suspected collusion with the country's top prosecutor.
After examining the relevant documentation and evidence, the chairperson of the investigatory chamber has decided to file the complaint and close the case due to the evident lack of a prima facie case regarding any alleged breach of the FIFA Code of Ethics, FIFA said in a statement.
Infantino, in charge of world football's governing body since 2016, is the subject of an investigation by the Swiss prosecutor over suspected collusion between him and Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber, who resigned last month over his handling of a corruption investigation targeting FIFA.
FIFA's investigatory chamber had opened a preliminary investigation into Infantino following reports of alleged ethics breaches, including the booking by FIFA of a private flight from Suriname to Geneva and meetings between the FIFA President with Michael Lauber.
But the independent judicial body determined there was insufficient evidence to warrant further pursuing the case.
Based on the information available to date, no aspect of the conduct analysed constitutes a violation of the FIFA regulations ? some aspects do not even fall within the provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics, or justify the adoption of any kind of measure, including that of a provisional suspension, the statement added.
Infantino had already insisted he had nothing to hide despite Swiss prosecutors launching a criminal probe against him.
In a letter sent to FIFA's 211 members Infantino said there were no factual grounds for the opening of a criminal investigation.
Infantino and Lauber are said to have held a series of secret meetings in 2016 and 2017, but the FIFA head said the meetings were about restoring public trust in our institution after a series of scandals.
Infantino claims that those meetings were in no way secret and most certainly not illegal.
An anti-corruption lawyer representing Infantino said earlier Wednesday he believed the case would be dismissed.
Jean-Pierre Mean, an anti-corruption specialist hired by FIFA on behalf of Infantino in May, told AFP: There is nothing wrong with meeting with a lawyer, even informally. It is quite usual and absolutely not criminal.
The procedure against Infantino, Mean continued, only mentions an anonymous complaint.
We still haven't seen it. We will have access to the file when Mr. Infantino is heard.
FIFA also revealed Wednesday the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its revenue was expected to remain comparatively low, with much of the organisation's commercial rights having already been sold.
It predicted a positive result of $100 million (83 million euros) in its revised 2019-22 budget, with the cancellation of next year's Confederations Cup and postponement of the revamped Club World Cup partially offset by other revenue streams.