Independent Ethics Committee bans football officials

14 Mar 2016

The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee chaired by Hans Joachim Eckert has banned several officials from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level.

Three cases were decided concerning international friendly matches played in South Africa in 2010. The investigation, initiated on November 2014, against (former) football officials of the South African Football Association (SAFA) were conducted by Dr Cornel Borbély, chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, in collaboration with the FIFA Security Division. They relate to the proceedings against Lindile Kika which were decided in October 2015. Mr Kika was banned from all football-related activities for six years by the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee.

In this regard, the adjudicatory chamber decided that the former official Leslie Sedibe had infringed art. 13 (General rules of conduct), art. 15 (Loyalty), and art. 18 (Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting) of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE) and imposed a ban on him from taking part in any football-related activities for five years and a fine of CHF 20,000. Furthermore, the former officials Steve Goddard and Adeel Carelse were both also found guilty of violating articles 13, 15, and 18 of the FCE and each received a ban of two years.

All bans come into force immediately.

Issued by FIFA, 14 March 2016