ENGLAND’S World Cup 2018 bid ‘referee’ has been revealed to be Petrus Damaseb, a Namibian high court judge who is a graduate of the University of Warwick’s school of law.
Damaseb took over the role of chairman of the Fifa ethics committee at a meeting in Zurich last month after Sebastian Coe stepped down from the role having accepted a position with the England 2018 bid. Damaseb, who is a former president of the Namibia Football Association, was entrusted with ensuring the process to determine who will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups is fair, open and transparent.
Damaseb, 46, said that ‘prima facie’ evidence of corruption would lead to ‘criminal prosecution’. I can assure you that the members of the committee stressed at the meeting that they are going to act independently and to earnestly investigate and act on any credible allegation of wrongdoing by any person or body involved,’ said Damaseb.
That will ease the private fears of some at the English bid’s 2018 Wembley headquarters that more unscrupulous bidders will use inducements to win votes. But even Damaseb recognises he must rely on the honesty of the voting members of the Fifa executive committee in regulating the race.
‘The challenge, of course, is that those with information make it available to the committee to act on,’ he said. ‘If things are done furtively and do not come to the attention of the committee, there is very little we can do. But once there is credible evidence of potential wrongdoing we will act.’
– guardian.co.uk
