Reports have been emerging over the weekend of a major scandal involving Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
Investigations are ongoing and information is obviously at this stage limited, but what is evident is that the work of those seeking to clear international football from its past taints still have their work cut out – with this story breaking at the worst possible time reputationally as the World Cup enters its final rounds.
What is known at this stage is that police are reportedly investigating four individuals, including a former MEP, a serving senior MEP (understood to be one of the EP’s Vice Presidents) plus a staffer, on potential charges of corruption. Two others have been reportedly questioned and released.
Recent years have seen a number of other people charged by crime-fighting agencies across the world, relating to incidents both inside FIFA and without. These have related to issues around preferment, payment, and contractual gain, variously amounting to bribery involving individuals from many countries. These current investigations are being led by the Belgian police, relating to “large sums of money” or “substantial gifts”. Some reporting has suggested €600,000 has been seized.
The full story is on Politico, here, with additional reporting for instance here
It is a rule of the EP that any gifts over €150 have to be declared for transparency, and financial transactions also properly declared to avoid accusations of bribery. These are set out in articles 4 and 5 of its Code of Conduct.
No doubt more information will emerge in the coming weeks and we importantly note some key authorities are denying any knowledge of this incident. Indeed, from what little is known it may very well not be football related at all, since MEPs are due to vote in the near future on visa proposals; in which case the location of the tournament is merely incidental – a lobbyist’s tool in support of a separate political argument.
If so, it is a reminder of the price of corruption; that old taints even once corrected take time to be fully forgiven and forgotten, and so get wrapped up into other unconnected issues. Conversely if there is in some way a minor connection, it is reassuring that reported incidents of inappropriate and illegal behaviour have been detected and are being pursued.
In either case, it does underline for us all the need for continued watchfulness to maintain a high ethical standpoint around the game; and of the dangers of intermingling politics and geostrategy with what is, and should remain, simply a sport.
(Image credit: wikipedia)
