By David Gold
November 29 – The head of Poland’s Football Association (PZPN), Grzegorz Lato, has promised he will comply with an investigation, triggered by Sports Minister Joana Mucha, which is looking into allegations he was involved in corruption.
The alleged corruption relates to the construction of the PZPN’s new headquarters, and Mucha is now preparing a report for UEFA President Michel Platini.
The PZPN website confirmed that Lato would co-operate fully with the inquiry, launched after Mucha was given recordings which she said “contain very serious and very surprising content.”
“I have been presented with recordings…and I have immediately notified Prosecutor General Andrezej Seremet of a possible criminal offence,” she confirmed.
The matter is an embarrassment to Poland less than a year before the European Championships are due to be co-hosted by the country, along with Ukraine.
The PZPN, who reportedly tried to oust Lato after the recordings became known to them, has said it will make ready all documents relating to the investigation.
Lato, one of the country’s greatest players, having won the golden boot at the 1974 World Cup in Germany, was defended by an unlikely source – the man who apparently supplied the evidence of his alleged wrongdoing.
Grzegorz Kulikowski has claimed that Lato is the victim of “manipulation,” telling the Polish Press Agency “I wanted to show the true face of Zdzislaw Krecina (the secretary general of the PZPN), and Lato became involved in the whole affair quite by accident.”
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