FIFA Ethics Committee Member Tied To Allegedly Corrupt Ex-FIFA Official

Deep down, we all knew that the concept of an objective FIFA ethics committee was ultimately flawed. How can anything FIFA touches stay clean? It was just hard to prove—that is, until today.

The so-called Panama Papers—a huge data leak of decades of files pertaining to offshore companies released today—proves that world leaders such as the Prime Minister of Iceland, the King of Saudi Arabia, and 140 various politicians are tied to horrendous acts of wealth concealment and tax evasion. Among those files, key FIFA ethics committee member and Uruguayan lawyer Juan Pedro Damiani not only proved to be a connection to former FIFA vice president and corruption suspect Eugenio Figueredo, but Damiani's firm actually provided legal advice for at least seven of Figueredo's suspicious offshore companies, according to the BBC.

This past September, Figueredo was accused of taking bribes, wire fraud, and money laundering, and was charged by US authorities. But ultimately, Figueredo was extradited to Uruguay, where he faced similar charges.

Though the Panama Papers don't yet prove that Damiani, who has dealt with ethics-related soccer cases since July 2012, committed any illegal acts in his business with Figueredo, the evidence certainly proves a lack of transparency and a conflict of interest for the time being. FIFA caught wind of the news of Figueredo and Damiani's connection and told the BBC:

"After receiving the information Dr Cornel Borbely, chairman of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, has immediately opened a preliminary investigation to review the allegations in question. Dr Borbely is currently looking into said allegations in order to determine if there is a breach against the FIFA code of ethics and decide any further measures.‎"

Who knows what good an investigation by the allegedly corrupt ethics committee is going to do—not to mention the standards of whatever this tattered "FIFA code of ethics" is. But the case certainly proves a sharp rift in the credibility and integrity of the committee put in charge of setting FIFA right.