Tuesday 2 December 2014 15:34, UK
Conservative MP Damian Collins is willing to travel to Morocco later this month to urge FIFA’s executive committee to release the full report by investigator Michael Garcia into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Garcia, an American lawyer, was hired by FIFA to investigate the World Cup bidding process but subsequently said the summary of his report released by football’s governing body misrepresented his findings.
Hans-Joachim Eckert, chairman of the Adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee, concluded from Garcia’s report that there was no reason to re-run the 2018 and 2022 bidding and criticised England 2018 for the way they tried to gain the support of disgraced former FIFA executive member Jack Warner.
It is important they understand this is a crucial moment for FIFA and that football fans around the world expect them to be open and transparent.
Garcia disputed Eckert’s findings from his report and took his case of misrepresentation to the FIFA appeals committee.
FIFA’s executive committee are scheduled to meet in Morocco on December 18 and 19 to discuss the scandal and Collins, MP for Folkestone & Hythe, is willing to travel to the meeting to persuade the committee that only by releasing the full report can FIFA’s credibility be salvaged.
“I would be very happy to meet with members of the executive committee to discuss this,” Collins said, speaking to Sky Sports News HQ.
“I know they will be discussing at that meeting in Morocco whether to publish the Garcia report or a further summary of the Garcia report.
“I think it is important that they understand that this is a crucial moment for FIFA and that football fans around the world will expect them to be open and transparent and publish what they have rather than seeking to hide it.”
Collins has led calls for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to join the FBI in investigating the bidding process in the hope it will place further pressure on FIFA to release the full report.
Collins points to the credibility questions around the majority of the 22 voting members who took part in the process in 2010 as evidence that the entire process was tarnished.
“What you see is a system which has totally failed,” Collins said. “Of the 22 voting members of FIFA who voted in 2010 on where the World Cups should be played, 18 of those have either been investigated or are subject to a current investigation
“Seven of them have had to resign from football because of misdemeanours on their part. We can see a massively flawed process and I don’t see how we can have any confidence at all at how FIFA arrived at the decisions which it took.”
When asked whether he believes the public will ever see the Garcia report in full, Collins said: “I believe we will, either by FIFA publishing it, which I don’t think they ever will voluntarily, or by it being demanded by international bodies like the SFO and the FBI.
I think it is external action from government agencies that will open this story up.
“That is why I have been pressing the SFO here to try and get them involved because I think it is external action from government agencies that will open this story up.
“Every time there is an allegation about FIFA, FIFA’s first reaction is to run for cover and to try and hide behind its own enquiries and reviews and I don’t think we can allow that to happen anymore.”
FIFA vice president Jim Boyce has told Sky Sports News HQ’s chief news reporter Bryan Swanson that he would have no problem meeting with Collins in Morocco.
“If all the executive committee members agree to meet Mr Collins, I would have no problem. As the British vice president at FIFA I must abide with the instructions from the British associations. I still feel, however, this matter should be dealt with by football people and politicians should leave it to people involved in the sport concerned.”
However, world football's governing body have ruled out meeting with Collins.
A spokesman confirmed: "This is not something FIFA will engage in."
