FIFA sacks deputy Secretary-General “for financial breaches”

PanARMENIAN.Net - FIFA on Monday, May 23 sacked deputy general secretary Markus Kattner for financial “breaches” involving secret bonuses worth millions of dollars, according to sources close to an inquiry by the world body, AFP says.

Kattner's downfall topples another member of ex-president Sepp Blatter's inner circle at football's world body.

Kattner, a 45-year-old German-Swiss national, had been acting general secretary after previous general secretary Jerome Valcke was also dismissed for irregularities.

"Kattner has been dismissed from his position effective immediately," the world body said in a statement, according to AFP.

"FIFA's internal investigation uncovered breaches of his fiduciary responsibilities in connection with his employment contract," it added.

"There was enough to determine there was a breach of his responsibilities and to take action against Mr Kattner," a source close to an internal FIFA investigation told AFP.

"We are talking about significant sums of money, millions of dollars," the source added.

The source said the money came from bonuses under a contract whose terms were kept secret from FIFA's audit committees.

The internal FIFA inquiry, carried out by the Quinn Emanuel law firm, "covers the period from 2008 to 2014," the source said.

"There was sufficient evidence to demonstrate shortcomings in his fiduciary responsibilities and to take action," the same source revealed, adding that "only a small group of people knew about these payments."