FIFA bans the former top official Kattner for 10 years

(Reuters) – FIFA’s World Cup for Football has suspended Markus Kattner, a former leading representative of the Zurich organization, for 10 years and imposed a million Swiss francs ($ 1.06 million) on him after reviewing bonus payments .

“The decision-making chamber of the independent ethics committee found Markus Kattner, former deputy general secretary and incumbent general secretary, guilty of conflicting interests and abuse of his position in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics,” said a statement by FIFA on Tuesday.

“The investigation against Mr. Kattner included various fees related to bonus payments related to FIFA competitions paid to senior FIFA officials (including Mr. Kattner), various changes and renewals to employment contracts, reimbursement of private legal expenses, and Mr.’s duties Kattner as an official. ”

FIFA announced in June 2016 that an internal investigation showed that Kattner, former FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke and ex-president of the organization, Sepp Blatter, had received compensation of CHF 79 million over five years ( $ 81 million).

Blatter, who headed FIFA from 1998 to 2015, was banned from football for six years in February 2016, while Valcke will be suspended until 2028.

The 45-year-old Kattner, who has German and Swiss citizenship, joined FIFA in 2003 as finance director and became deputy general secretary four years later.

After Valcke’s departure, he became Acting Secretary General in September 2015, but was then released in May 2016.

After the final decision of the ethics committee, Kattner argued that the ethics process against him was not fair and that he had not granted bonus payments to himself or other members of the top management.

The official can appeal the FIFA ban to the Sports Arbitration Court in Lausanne, Switzerland.