South Korean FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong-joon yesterday accused the governing body of world soccer of overlooking an “election fraud” favoring rival and frontrunner Michel Platini.
Chung claimed last week that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had sent “unsolicited” letters to almost every AFC member association supporting Platini’s candidacy.
He urged FIFA’s Ad-hoc Electoral Committee to investigate UEFA president Platini and AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, arguing that they were using their status to influence the election process.
However, the committee said that there had been no rule violations, prompting Chung’s angry response yesterday.
“We object to this conclusion in the strongest possible terms,” he said in a statement, denouncing the committee for conducting a superficial probe.
This is “tantamount to covering up an election fraud,” the statement said.
Chung’s accusations were based on a form letter the AFC sent to national soccer federations, expressing support for Platini and addressed to FIFA’s secretary-general.
The letter is titled “Proposal and support of the candidature of Mr MP [Michel Platini] for the office of FIFA president.”
An AFC statement made no denial of the letters, but said al-Khalifa’s public support of Platini and said all national soccer associations would be free to vote how they wished.
The FIFA election campaign is already turning into a bitter affair with allegations of behind-the-scenes dirty tricks.
Chung has vowed that if successful in the election in February next year, he would serve just one term.
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