By Andrew Warshaw
June 2 – The anti-corruption investigation into the entire bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be completed three days before the start of the World Cup – but it will take “approximately” another six weeks before the findings are submitted and probably even longer for any sanctions to be announced.
On the day FIFA’s chief prosecutor Michel Garcia was meeting representatives of Qatar’s winning 2022 bid – arranged well in advance of the Sunday Times’ startling new allegations of wrongdoing focussing on Qatar’s former Asian football chief Mohamed bin Hammam – crucial new information regarding the time scale of the probe was released by Garcia’s office “in response to a number of inquiries”.
A statement from Garcia and Cornel Borbely, chairman and deputy Chairman respectively of FIFA’s Investigatory Chamber, confirmed that the probe itself was close to reaching its conclusion and that his report containing recommendation for action – if any at all – would be delivered roughly six weeks later.
“After months of interviewing witnesses and gathering materials, we intend to complete that phase of our investigation by June 9, 2014, and to submit a report to the Adjudicatory Chamber approximately six weeks thereafter,” the statement said.
“The report will consider all evidence potentially related to the bidding process, including evidence collected from prior investigations.”
It is not known precisely how soon after the report goes to the Adjudicatory Chamber the findings would be announced and any sanctions applied. But it would now appear that an issue that has dominated football politics should be cleared up within weeks rather than months, pending any appeals.
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