FIFA rejects Temarii's World Cup bribery appeal

GENEVA — FIFA has rejected an appeal by Oceanian ex football chief Reynald Temarii against his suspension in the bribery scandal that rocked bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, his lawyer told AFP Friday.Attorney Geraldine Lesieur dismissed the whole appeals process at world football's governing body as a "pantomime" and vowed to lodge a final appeal to Swiss civil courts."We have just received the decision of the appeals committee which confirms the initial decision, following a hearing on February 2," Lesieur said.In November, FIFA's ethics committee banned Temarii from FIFA's decision making executive committee for one year and fined him for ethics violations, following a Sunday Times undercover report on vote-buying during the race to host the World Cups.Fellow executive committee member Amos Adamu, of Nigeria, was suspended for three years.Violations of anti-bribery rules were not retained against Temarii, while allegations of illicit collusion between candiates for 2018 and 2022 were thrown out."It's a pantomime of justice," Lesieur said, admitting that the appeals hearing had been "stormy".She said she was considering a final appeal before a Swiss civil court judge rather than before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) "so that Mr Temarii's case can be examined by independent judges."Russia and Qatar won the right to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in a secret ballot by the remaining members of FIFA's executive committee in December.But the process and outcome met with severe criticism from several quarters. Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

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