Yahoo – AFP,
David Courbet, 12 Dec 2014
Geneva (AFP) - Swiss deputies on Friday passed a law making it easier to bring corruption charges against the leaders of international sporting bodies such as FIFA which have faced years of sleaze allegations.
FIFA, based in Switzerland, has been at the centre of claims of corruption over its decision to grant Qatar the 2022 World Cup (AFP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini) |
Geneva (AFP) - Swiss deputies on Friday passed a law making it easier to bring corruption charges against the leaders of international sporting bodies such as FIFA which have faced years of sleaze allegations.
The law
will affect about 60 multi-billion dollar sporting federations, including
football's governing body and the International Olympic Committee, based in
Switzerland and has become known as "Lex FIFA", or the FIFA law.
The
legislation makes the chiefs of sporting federations "politically exposed
persons," alongside political dictators, for whom an allegation of money
laundering or corruption will trigger judicial proceedings.
"With
this law, corruption in sport will become a crime. It's the first step towards
cleaning up sport," Roland Buchel, a lawmaker with the populist Swiss
People's Party who led a four-year campaign for the bill, told AFP.
The law is
in response to years of allegations of corruption against sporting bodies,
including FIFA.
Football's
global body, which is based in Zurich, has been at the centre of controversy
over its decision to grant the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
FIFA and
Qatar have denied any wrongdoing.
But the
governing body's executive will vote next week on whether to release the full
report of corruption inquiry.
Federation
chiefs had been exempt from Swiss laws on money laundering, which were based on
measures drawn up by the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force.
The new
lawl, under which banks will have to flag any suspect payments, brings sports
officials -- and their relatives -- into line with politicians.
"It
sends a clear message to the world, that officials must accept
responsibility," Buchel said.
He said the
law should be rubber stamped by the government by April or May 2015.
FIFA and
IOC welcome bill
FIFA and
the International Olympic Committee welcomed the new law, which was passed by
the lower chamber, the National Council by 128 votes to 62 against, with five
abstentions.
"As
FIFA has repeatedly stated in the past, FIFA supports government measures for
protecting the integrity of the sport and tackling corruption," a
spokesman said.
The
organisation last month published a summary of an investigation into the Qatar
bids and Russia's victory for the 2018 World Cup, clearing them of corruption
and ruling out a re-vote.
But the
author of the investigation, lawyer Michael Garcia, has slammed the summary as
"incomplete and erroneous". He has lodged an appeal with FIFA to get
a new version released.
The IOC
brought in new rules on bidding following bribery revelations surrounding Salt
Lake City's bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.
The
Lausanne-based organisation "fully supports and welcomes this important
move by Swiss lawmakers -– it is in line with what the IOC already does,"
its president Thomas Bach said.
The new
bill only affects international organisations based in Switzerland -- where
they enjoy favourable tax status -- and not regional or national groups.
Buchel said
he regretted that UEFA, European football's governing body which is based in
the Swiss town of Nyon, was not covered, but said he hoped it would eventually
be.
Asked if he
feared sporting bodies might now leave Switzerland, he said: "Good
riddance."
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