
Audio By Carbonatix
A member of FIFA's financial monitoring panel has been stood down from duty while implicated in financial corruption.
Canover Watson was questioned last month by police anti-corruption and financial crime units in his native Cayman Islands. He denies wrongdoing.
FIFA said on Tuesday that audit committee chairman Domenico Scala "decided to temporarily relieve until further notice Canover Watson, to whom the presumption of innocence applies."
The eight-member panel is next scheduled to meet on December 16 in Morocco, on the sidelines of the Club World Cup.
It was formed in 2012, and scrutinises FIFA's US$1 billion-plus annual revenue and commercial contracts. Scala's team has intervened to block some of FIFA's 209 member federations applying for development grants.
Watson is a director of the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange and treasurer of the islands' football federation. He is a close associate of federation leader Jeffrey Webb, a FIFA vice president and president of CONCACAF.
FIFA said the police investigation was not linked to Watson's work in football.
"After a preliminary clarification of the facts of the case and the allegations of the Cayman Island investigating authorities against Canover Watson, no connection with football and/or his role at association level has been established at this stage," football's governing body said in a statement.
Local media reported the case involves a 2010 contract to supply public hospitals with swipe-card billing technology.
Latest Stories
-
‘A true miracle of destiny’ – Messi and Lamine Yamal’s incredible first meeting
2 minutes -
Mahama delivers medical equipment to Ho District Hospital to boost Free Primary Healthcare programme
17 minutes -
Beads, not screens: How Ancient Abacus is rescuing Ghana’s children from digital distraction
29 minutes -
MPs must put Ghana ahead of party loyalty and personal ambition – Justice Atuguba
32 minutes -
Police end rescue efforts for more victims of fatal Odumase accident
32 minutes -
What if society had a memory for kindness
33 minutes -
Trump to attend World Cup final as Argentina face Spain
44 minutes -
Credit-to-GDP gap remains negative, signals credit contraction – BoG
44 minutes -
Road contractors should voluntarily help build Volta Cardiac Centre – Agbodza
1 hour -
Mahama lauds Black Stars’ World Cup performance
1 hour -
Two killed, several injured in accident on Fodoa–Nadeso road
1 hour -
I will commit 3 more months of my salary to Volta Cardiac Centre – Agbodza
1 hour -
I thought my first major patient had died until I found her eating Akple for breakfast – Bernhardt Ago Sowa Kuma
1 hour -
I won’t threaten any contractor to contribute to Ghana Medical Trust Fund – Agbodza
1 hour -
Foreign Affairs Ministry opens logo design competition for Ghana-Japan Triple Anniversaries
1 hour