Bonus payment case: FIFA bans former top official for 10-years

GENEVA: Soccer’s world governing body FIFA has banned Markus Kattner, a former leading official in the Zurich organization, for 10-years and has fined him one million Swiss francs ($1.06 million) after an investigation into bonus payments.

FIFA in a statement issued today said, “The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Markus Kattner, former FIFA Deputy Secretary-General and Acting Secretary-General, guilty of conflicts of interest and having abused his position, in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.”

“The investigation into Mr. Kattner covered various charges concerning bonus payments in relation to FIFA competitions that were paid to top FIFA management officials (including Mr. Kattner), various amendments to and extensions of employment contracts, reimbursement of private legal costs, and Mr. Kattner’s duties as an official.”

“By his conduct, the integrity and objectivity of FIFA have therefore been exceedingly violated,” FIFA’s ethics judges said in their ruling. Kattner spent 13-years overseeing the world soccer body’s finances during Blatter’s presidency.

 When he was fired by FIFA’s new management in 2016, it was revealed that Blatter, former secretary-general Jerome Valcke and Kattner himself were contracted to get World Cup bonuses, loyalty bonuses and future golden handshakes totaling tens of millions of dollars.