FIFA recommends four-year ban for former official Makudi

Former FIFA official Worawi Makudi has been recommended a four-year ban for a third breach of the organisation’s ethics code.

Makudi, former president of the Thailand FA (FAT) and a member of FIFA’s executive committee, was given a provisional 90-day suspension last December for an unspecified breach of the organisation’s ethics code.

The 64-year-old’s suspension was extended to three years in February after it was found he had breached the terms of his banning order.

FIFA has now announced recommendations of a minimum ban of four years and a fine of CHF 25,000 for Makudi, after revealing that their investigation centred on allegations that he altered the statutes of the FAT without approval.

A statement released by the investigatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee on Friday recommended: “A sanction of a ban for no less than four years and a fine of no less than CHF 25,000 on Mr Makudi for alleged violation of the general rules of conduct (art. 13 par. 1 to 3 of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE)), loyalty (art. 15 FCE), forgery and falsification (art. 17 FCE) and the obligation of the parties to collaborate (art. 41 FCE).

“The investigation against Mr Makudi concerned alterations of the FAT Statutes which were not approved by the FAT Congress. Mr Makudi was allegedly responsible for the alterations and did not inform the members of the FAT Congress about them.

“Until a formal decision is taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, Mr Makudi is presumed innocent.”