By Andrew Warshaw
September 5 – The head of the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF), Julius Kvedaras, has been suspended for allegedly misusing federation funds donated by UEFA.
Kvedaras (pictured above and below) denies any wrongdoing despite an investigation being carried out following newspaper allegations of embezzlement.
The LFF said on its website merely that a district court had ordered that Kvedaras be suspended for six months due to “suspicions of criminal activities”.
The matter is to be discussed on September 7 at a meeting of the LFF Executive Committee at which representatives of both FIFA and UEFA have been invited to attend.
Kvedaras, who sits on two prominent committees at FIFA and UEFA, insisted he had “nothing to hide”, that he had not been suspended and that he was merely taking a holiday “which I haven’t done for 10 years”.
However, a Kaunas court spokesman said: “He has been barred from exercising his functions for six months to allow time to undertake a speedy and impartial inquiry and to obviate any interference with preliminary investigations.”
Kvedaras is accused of illegal use of federation funds in an inquiry which apparently began almost a year ago but which has only just come to light.
More specifically, he is accused of embezzling UEFA funds intended for the renovation of a stadium in the capital Vilnius.
“What was written in the press is a pure lie,” insisted Kvedaras.
“In a normal country I would go to court and get a lot of money…The [construction] companies were paid directly by FIFA, we had no access to the money.”
According to reports, state tax investigators were alerted to possible wrongdoing by evidence that Kvedaras was spending around €145,000 (£115,000/$180,000) a year without being able to account for the funds.
To make matters even more embarrassing, he is a member of FIFA’s Development Committee – responsible for helping poorer footballing nations – as well of UEFA’s Football Committee.
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734852807labto1734852807ofdlr1734852807owedi1734852807sni@w1734852807ahsra1734852807w.wer1734852807dna1734852807