Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.

Police begin fraud probe of Oceania Football Confederation

Image
AP Wellington
Last Updated : Feb 20 2020 | 2:12 PM IST

New Zealand Police's serious fraud office has begun an investigation into former leading figures in the Oceania Football Confederation in response to a complaint by world governing body FIFA.

The fraud office confirmed the investigation Thursday after inquiries by New Zealand's Fairfax Media.

Fairfax reported that one of the people under investigation is former OFC president David Chung, who rose from the chairmanship of the Papua New Guinea football federation to become one of the most powerful figures in world football, deputy to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Chung resigned from the OFC in 2018 citing personal reasons shortly before a damning audit report was presented to the confederation's executive committee.

In March, 2019 FIFA banned Chung from having any involvement in football for 6 1-2 years after its ethics committee found him guilty of "having offered and accepted gifts" and having "conflicts of interest."
In a statement at the time FIFA said "the investigation into Mr. Nicholas concerned the misappropriation of FIFA funds allocated to the OFC between 2014 and 2017 in relation to the OFC Home of Football, as well as to various undue benefits accepted from or offered to several football officials and other individuals."

Also Read

First Published: Feb 20 2020 | 2:12 PM IST

Next Story