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'Nothing to hide' Besieged Blatter turns on critics, denies wrongdoingPosted: Saturday March 09, 2002 12:33 PMUpdated: Saturday March 09, 2002 1:39 PM ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- Besieged FIFA president Sepp Blatter fought for his political life Saturday, turning on his critics and insisting he had nothing to hide. Blatter said an internal audit committee set up Thursday to look at FIFA's finances would find no wrongdoing. Blatter, who turned 66 Sunday, has been described as "isolated" as the state of FIFA's finances have come under scrutiny, with observers calling the ad hoc committee a major defeat for the Swiss president of soccer's world governing body. But Blatter insisted Saturday that setting up a committee was his idea, which he said he set out in a letter to the executive committee and national associations dated Jan. 29. He said there was no need for a full scale investigation. "I have nothing to hide," Blatter told a news conference Saturday, his first formal comments since the ad hoc committee was set up. "We have nothing to hide. We work with such a transparency in FIFA." The independent audit committee will be headed by Scotland's David Will, with Oceania Football Confederation president Basil Scarsella his deputy. The remaining members are Mong-joon Chung of South Korea, Slim Aloulou of Tunisia, Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil and Chuck Blazer of the United States. It will report by April 30. Blatter said the committee would look at the effects of the US$300 million collapse of marketing partner ISL/ISMM on the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and also the consequences of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Blatter maintains the collapse cost FIFA around US$30 million, but some say the true cost could be 10 times worse. It's also been claimed Blatter borrowed around US$450 million on the basis of projected income from the 2006 World Cup. FIFA's finance committee Tuesday ratified FIFA's accounts, but the executive committee Saturday refused to accept them. No member of the finance committee is on the audit committee. Blatter, who has argued the attacks are politically motivated as he seeks re-election to a second term, said he had received messages of support from numerous FIFA members since allegations of vote-buying in the 1998 presidential election and financial mismanagement were raised. "The more I was attacked and the more I was in the headlines of the newspapers, the more support I have received," he said. "They believe that I defend football." "Should these internal fights or misunderstandings (in the) international media not stop, already 54 national associations have passed to convene an extraordinary congress of FIFA in order to discuss in the congress ... all matters relating to finances," he said. "I am sure Monday there will be double the associations asking for that if the executive committee would not have been able to settle the problem inside the family. "If somebody has to make remarks or disapproval of the president, is the congress, not the (audit) committee. I convinced them this morning that is the facts, I have nothing to hide." Blatter is seeking re-election and is the only declared candidate. But Cameroon's Issa Hayatou, head of the African Confederation, has indicated he might stand. Nominations for the presidency close March 28. Blatter said claims of bribery surrounding his election were closed. Last week, Farah Addo, a Somali vice president of the African federation (CAF), alleged that Blatter's Arab backers offered US$100,000 bribes before the election in Paris in June 1998. Blatter defeated UEFA president Lennart Johansson in the vote. "Allegations have been made in 1998 which have been the subject of inquiries and in court, and these have been settled and I am not going to give a platform to those who doubt the correctness of my election in 1998," Blatter said.
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