FIFA deletes any mention of corruption from its new code of ethics

Despite years of impropriety, FIFA has eliminated the term “corruption” from its code of ethics, according to The Washington Post.

World soccer officials have long been accused of taking bribes, diverting funds and match-fixing. The most prominent pair — former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former vice president Jack Warner — were investigated by the ethics committee before being removed from the organization. Warner was subsequently banned for life and faces extradition to the United States on a variety of criminal charges.

After persistent claims of corruption and mismanagement, the ethics committee removed Blatter from his post in 2015. Warner was suspended by the committee in 2011; about a month later, FIFA announced his resignation from all his posts within the organization.

That same committee has now watered down punishments for malfeasance.

FIFA vowed a corruption crackdown after the Department of Justice indicted more than a dozen world soccer officials — including Warner — in 2015 on charges that included wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

But malfeasance persists in the organization.

Read the full story: Corruption? What corruption? FIFA deletes any mention from new code of ethics

ADRIAN MOGOȘ

Adrian Mogoș este jurnalist freelancer, membru al Centrului Român pentru Jurnalism de Investigație și al International Consortium of Investigative Journalism. În cadrul ICIJ a făcut parte din echipa de jurnaliști a proiectului Offshore Leaks. A fost timp de opt ani șeful Departamentului Investigații al cotidianului Jurnalul Național. A primit bursele Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence și Milena Jesenská - Institute for Human Sciences din Viena. Pentru activitatea jurnalistică a fost premiat cu: CEI-SEEMO Award, Kurt Schork Award și mențiune specială Global Shining Light Award. Una dintre investigațiile pe care le-a coordonat a fost inclusă în UNESCO Global Casebook for Investigative Journalism, iar o alta a primit din partea juriului European Press Prize apreciere specială.