By Andrew Warshaw
April 24 – After the net had seemingly closed in on him once and for all, former FIFA Executive Committee member Worawi Makudi could be about to stage a shock comeback.
The one-time strongman of Thai football, one of those who voted in the controversial ballot for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, is determined to get his five-year FIFA ban for election forgery quashed following the lifting of his conviction in his homeland.
Makudi, a longtime ally of disgraced former Asian football chief and one-time FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam, was a FIFA executive committtee member for 18 years until being voted off by Asian federations in April 2015.
He has faced multiple allegations of wrongdoing and was found guilty in July last year by a Thai court of forgery relating to his 2013 re-election as head of his national FA and handed a suspended 16-month jail term.
FIFA’s ethics committee subsequently opened a case as a result of Makudi being convicted of forgery by the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court and ended up banning him for “forgery and falsification” as well as failing to co-operate and fining him CHF10,000 in the process.
FIFA said at the time that Makudi “made alterations to the FAT statutes” without approval and it was assumed he had little hope of regaining power either domestically or on the world stage.
But like the proverbial cat with nine lives, he has now won an appeal at domestic level which he believes must result in FIFA clearing his name.
“FIFA must accept the decision of the (Thai) Court of Appeals,” Makudi was quoted as saying by AFP.
“I do not know why they (FIFA) were so anxious to make a decision at that time, because I told them ‘Wait for the end of the legal proceedings’.”
His lawyer Narinpong Jinapak told local media: “It has been proven that Worawi Makudi, the former president of the Football Association of Thailand, is not guilty as charged. He is clean. He told me after learning of the court ruling that he is very happy.”
Jinapak said his client would now insist that FIFA lift his ban and, if world football’s governing body refuse, he would go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In its judgement, the court of appeal in Thailand ruled Makudi was not guilty as he acted according to the Local Administration Department and did not have any intention of commit wrongdoing.
Asked if Makudi would be making a comeback, Narinpong said: “He needs time to heal his ‘mental wounds’ before making a decision.”
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