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World football governing body FIFA has announced the provincial suspension of president Sepp Blatter, FIFA vice president and UEFA President Michel Platini and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke according to reports from BBC Sport. They have been suspended for a duration of 90 days pending further enquiry. The duration of the ban could be further extended by a period not more than 45 days. The bans are reported to be effective immediately.
Additionally former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon has been banned for six years and fined 100,000 Swiss Francs(£67,000).
The suspensions were dished out by the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee of FIFA chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert. It has also prohibited Blatter, Platini and Valcke from associating themselves with any form of football-related activities in both the national and international level. The trio are being investigated by the committee over corruption allegations.
"The grounds for these decisions are the investigations that are being carried out by the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee," it said in a statement.
However, all three have denied any wrongdoing on their part.
As mandated by FIFA statutes, Issa Hayatou, the longest serving vice-president on FIFA’s Executive Committee, would serve as acting President of FIFA.
The Ethics Committee opened an inquiry into Platini over the 2m euro (£1.35m) payment - which was made nine years after the 60-year-old carried out consultation work for Blatter. Secretary General Valcke was already put on leave from his post by FIFA following newspaper allegations last month which implicated the 54-year-old in a scheme to profit from the sale of World Cup tickets.
Investigations on Sepp Blatter was started by the Ethics Committee of FIFA after the Swiss Attorney General began criminal proceedings against 79-year-old on suspicion of criminal mismanagement. Blatter is accused of signing a contract unfavourable to FIFA and also making a disloyal payment to vice-president Michel Platini, who is also the President of the governing body of European football, UEFA in return for consultation work done for the former.
Earlier in the year, The United States of America authorities indicted 14 Fifa officials and associates on bribery and racketeering charges. A simultaneous Swiss investigation was started into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Blatter’s lawyers react to suspension
FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s lawyers reacted to the moratorium imposed by the Ethics Committee with disbelief. They have expressed Blatter’s disappointment with the decision. They have also claimed that Blatter is looking forward to the opportunity to provide evidence to the Ethics Committee which would vindicate him of any of the reported wrongdoings.
