27 January 2011
Disgraced FIFA and CAF executive Amos Adamu is confident his appeal against a three-year ban will be successful just as the Nigerian government has taken a special interest in the case.
A source close to Adamu told MTNFootball.com that it was all a set-up against the top official and with the government now in the full picture of what happened during the sting operation by British newspaper The Sunday Times, the decision by FIFA to ban Adamu for three years for breaching their ethics will be overturned.
Adamu has appealed the first ruling and FIFA will soon deliver judgment on the case. But Adamu is not really disturbed about what would be the outcome of the case because he is confident that he would be acquitted at the end of all the proceedings, said a source close to Adamu.
The video is not convincing enough to nail Adamu. So many top FIFA officials share this opinion and I am sure Adamu will celebrate in the end.
Nigerian sports minister, Taoheed Adedoja, said Tuesday in Abuja that he felt very uncomfortable that the allegations (against Adamu) were overblown after he watched the video in which Adamu allegedly demanded for a payment to be transferred to an account for him to vote for the US to host the 2018 World Cup.
I feel very uncomfortable that allegation was overblown beyond what actually happened. And after studying the video along with the transcript, we are sending the video and the transcript to the Attorney General of the Federation, announced Adedoja.
What happened is not about Amos Adamu but Nigeria as a nation. We are talking about Nigeria’s image and about a Nigerian who is an executive of FIFA.
The issue of Amos Adamu is not just about football. It is about Nigeria as a country. That is why Nigeria is interested like all other countries are interested in what happens to their citizens.
Amos Adamu didnt go there (to FIFA) as a person, he went there to represent Nigeria and if anything happens to a Nigerian at that level, even if you are not interfering, you must know what happened.
The minister added: We want to avail ourselves as to what happened. I would not be able to decide what actually happened. That is why I said we are sending the tape to the Attorney General to study it and make sure that what they alleged he did, he actually did it.
If nothing else, at least for the record that Nigerians were knowledgeable about the case.
The Sports Minister also frowned at what he termed as infringement on the rights of Adamu as a person. He submitted that filming the conversation without telling Adamu was a violation of international law.
The MTNFootball.com reporter who was privileged to watch the unedited version of the video of Adamus interview with the British newspaper said the evidence was not enough to nail the official.
The FIFA appeal committee will meet on February 2 to discuss Adamus appeal.
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