FIFA ethics committee opens proceedings against Qatari official

ZURICH — Global soccer governing body FIFA said Tuesday its ethics watchdog had opened proceedings against high-ranking Qatari soccer official Saoud Al-Mohannadi. "The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee, under its chairman Hans-Joachim Eckert, has opened formal adjudicatory proceedings against the Vice President of the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and former General Secretary of the QFA, Saoud Al-Mohannadi, based on the final report submitted by the investigatory chamber," Zurich-based FIFA said in a statement. In August, a FIFA investigator recommended Mohannadi be banned from the game for at least 2-1/2 years over allegations of non-cooperation with an inquiry. The recommendation did not give details on the inquiry. The FIFA watchdog only said the inquiry was not linked to the awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar — one of the cases at the center of wider investigations and allegations that have rocked the soccer organization since last year. Qatar Football Association has backed Al-Mohannadi and took aim at FIFA even after the governing body called for the two-and-a-half-year ban against the senior official. "Mr Al-Mohannadi has not yet seen the Investigatory chamber's report, so he is not able to comment on its substance," said the QFA in an official statement posted on its website recently. "However, he as well as the QFA are both confident that a full and fair review of the matter will confirm that he has cooperated extensively and candidly with the Ethics Committee and that any charges against him are without legitimate basis." The QFA had also criticized FIFA for making the decision of the ethics committee public. "The QFA expresses its strong disappointment for the Media Release... which was issued without informing Mr. Al-Mohannadi that even the investigation proceedings against him have been concluded," it said.