{UAH} Pojim/WBK: GAITHO: Football needs thorough cleansing - Opinion

The dramatic developments as the axe falls on that global organised criminal enterprise known as Fifa should serve as a warning to all that impunity eventually gets its comeuppance.

Herr Sepp Blatter and his band of merry men scattered across the world have looted and plundered the big money that follows the most popular sport in the world, selling football World Cup hosting rights for massive bribes and converting money from TV rights and corporate sponsorship to personal enrichment.

From its home in Zurich, Fifa extended its thieving tentacles across the globe, encouraging its affiliates to ignore domestic laws.

Leaders of national soccer associations did not just ignore the laws and regulations governing registration and operation of such bodies in respective countries, but were also free to loot and plunder their own coffers without fear of the Penal Code.

Fifa's default position, even in cases revealing clear mismanagement and theft, has always been to cite alleged government interference and threaten to bar a country from international football.

We can only hope now that the unprecedented actions taken by authorities in the United States and Switzerland will result in hefty jail terms for the Fifa thieves.

Just as important, the action should spur justice and law enforcement systems in individual countries across Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, and elsewhere to stop quaking at ban threats from Fifa.

This is the time to move aggressively against the bosses of national football associations who have ridden roughshod over the laws because of the protection they enjoyed from the global governing body.

It is important that the tough action taken by the United States in investigating the massive corruption in Fifa and issuing indictments, and Switzerland in acting on the arrest warrants, is supported by all the countries that want to free the beautiful game from the clutches of football mafia.

This is the golden chance to kick out the thieves and reform Fifa so that it can go back to its core mandate and regain the trust of millions across the world who would want to see credibility restored to the sport they love.

The International Olympic Committee, another global sporting organisation that similarly operated above the law, used to be just as corrupt as Fifa until the scandal that followed the 1998 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics bidding.

Authorities cracked the whip, corrupt individuals were brought to justice and removed from office, and honour was restored to the Olympic movement. Football needs to undergo a similar cleansing for we cannot afford to allow another band of thieves to succeed the ones being forced out.

It is perhaps time for the international community to craft laws for more effective monitoring and regulation of global sporting organisations. This is important so that there are no questions raised about jurisdiction. It is also important that efforts to cleanse the beautiful game are not politicised by those wanting the retention of the corrupt status quo.

I have heard hackneyed arguments that Sepp Blatter is a friend of Africa and Asia and, therefore, ought not to be hounded by American or European courts. This has come with claims that he is being victimised because the United States and England lost out on the World Cup hosting bids to Russia and Qatar.

It is true that under Mr Blatter, Fifa was liberated form Eurocentric roots and became a truly global organisation. It spread the World Cup and other major tournaments to places unimaginable under European domination. That still cannot be an excuse for larceny on a grand scale. The only question here is whether they stole or not.

All the same, those European associations imagining that the fall of Blatter affords them an opportunity to regain control and domination should recognise that the world has changed.

During the one-party dictatorship, pesky journalists were often kept in check by Nyayo-compliant judges ever ready to dish out harsh penalties for defamation and jail terms for the colonial offence of criminal libel.

Now it seems that the more things change, the more they remain the same, as witnessed with the unprecedented Sh2 million fine or six-months jail for contempt of court. Nyayo Error tactics are back.

Email: mgaitho@ke.nationmedia.com. @MachariaGaitho on Twitter

GAITHO: Football needs thorough cleansing - Opinion | Daily Nation
http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Fifa-Sepp-Blatter-Corruption-Prosecutors/-/440808/2744618/-/g7iuog/-/index.html

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