Court of Arbitration of Sports uphold FIFA ban on Nigeria’s Amos Adamu
The Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) has upheld the ban of former Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Executive Committee member, Amos Adamu, for his involvement in a bribery scandal related to the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
The Nigerian official was handed a three-year ban from football related activities by FIFA after being alleged to be offered $800,000 by undercover journalists of British Newspaper, Sunday Times, purporting to support the United States of America’s bid for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
A statement from the CAS copied to GNA Sports said the international arbitration body upheld the decision of the FIFA Ethics Committee and the FIFA Appeals Committee after a critical review of the case.
It said the panel consisting of Prof. Massimo Coccia (Italy), Mr Quentin Byrne-Sutton (Switzerland) and Mr Michele Bernasconi (Switzerland) met at a hearing in Lausanne on 4 October 2011, during which the parties, their legal representatives and their witnesses were heard.
“The CAS Panel has confirmed the FIFA decision to find Dr Adamu guilty of infringement of Article 3 (general rules), Article 9 (loyalty and confidentiality) and Article 11 (bribery) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
“The CAS Panel rejected the argument raised by Dr Adamu that the recordings obtained by FIFA from the Sunday Times should be considered as illegal evidence because the journalists would have violated the Swiss Criminal Code and the evidence would have been therefore obtained in consequence of a criminal offence,” the statement read.
It also dismissed claims by Dr Adamu of the violation of his personality rights and request that the evidence be declared inadmissible.
“The CAS has confirmed the decision of the FIFA Appeals Committee of 3 February 2011. As a consequence, Amos Adamu remains banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for a period of 3 years as from 20 October 2010. The fine of CHF 10’000 is also confirmed.
“The CAS Panel stressed that it was of crucial importance that top football officials should not only be honest but should evidently and undoubtedly be seen to be honest. In conclusion, the CAS Arbitrators considered that the sanction imposed by FIFA was not disproportionate and was even relatively mild given the seriousness of the offence.”
Dr Adamu who has has since lost his position on the FIFA Executive Committee, was implicated in the scandal alongside three other African football officials.
Russia won the bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup and Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Source: GNA