FIFA committee decides Adamu's fate today

Posted Wednesday, February 02, 2011 by 234next.com

Suspended FIFA Executive Committee member, Amos Adamu.

Suspended FIFA Executive Committee member, Amos Adamu will today find out whether his appeal against the ban placed on him by the world football body has been successful.

This will be disclosed at a hearing to be held at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

Adamu was banned for three years by FIFA's ethics committee back in November after being found guilty of breaching the world body's rules on bribery.

The Nigerian had been subjected to investigation after he was caught on video soliciting cash from undercover reporters in exchange for his vote ahead of last December's voting to choose the hosts of both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.

However, Adamu wasn't the only member of FIFA's 24-man Executive Committee caught in the bribery scandal as Reynald Temarii from Tahiti was also incriminated.

The Tahitian however got a lesser punishment from the world body. He was banned from football related affairs for one year for breaching ethics guidelines.

Both men opted to appeal their respective bans to FIFA's appeals committee, leading to today's hearing.

Expecting a fair hearing

Adamu is confident he will be cleared by the world body's appeals committee over charges of attempted bribery.

In a report carried by a number of sports websites, Adamu, who is also being investigated by Nigeria's anti corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, says he expects to get a fair hearing, and ultimately, vindication.

"I don't want to say too much about the appeal but I know I'll get a fair hearing," Adamu was quoted to have said.

"It is important that I clear my name in this matter and I believe that will be done at the meeting."

In a separate interview with a Nigerian sports paper on Monday, the same day he left for Zurich, the former Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) said:

"I believe the appeal will go well. The truth will surely prevail," before adding, "I want to thank those who have shown their support."

If Adamu scales through at the end of the day and his ban is overturned by the world body, he will get a chance to reclaim his seat on the FIFA executive committee, but not automatically, as he will have to first secure a seat on the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football, CAF.

And he will have the opportunity to do that on February 24 in Khartoum, Sudan during CAF's congress. Owing to Adamu's suspension, former chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, Ibrahim Galadima, nominated for a position in both CAF and FIFA.

Galadima may step down for Adamu if at the end of today the latter is cleared of all charges by FIFA's appeals committee.