Exclusive: Temarii insists "I'm innocent"

By Andrew Warshaw

October 19 – One of the two senior FIFA officials at the centre of the World Cup cash-for-votes scandal insists he is totally innocent and is determined to clear his name.

In an exclusive interview with insideworldfootball, Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii, a FIFA vice-president, says his comments in the Sunday Times were taken out of context and that he will not resign his post as a member of the executive committee unless forced to do so.

FIFA’s Ethics Committee meets in Zurich tomorrow to examine the newspaper’s corruption allegations against both Temarii, head of FIFA’s Oceania Confederation, and Nigeria’s Amos Adamu.

Both are expected to be sanctioned following FIFA’s announcement of an official investigation but Temarii, chairman of its Technical and Development Committee, which itself sat on Monday, insists he should be exonerated.

“I have no intention of resigning and have asked for a personal hearing in front of the Ethics Committee,” Temarii told insideworldfootball from his hotel in Zurich.

“That’s why I have stayed on.

“I am 100 per cent convinced of my integrity.”

The Sunday Times, which is understood to be preparing further revelations, alleged that Temarii asked for £1.5 million ($2.4 million) to finance a sports academy.

But he responded: “I have certain elements which I believe will prove my innocence.

“I will prove I am an honest man.

“The Ethics Committee will tell me if I am right or wrong.”

Temarii’s strategy appears to be based on the claim that his comments in the Sunday Times – which can also be heard on video – were taken out of context.

Whether this will be enough to save his job remains to be seen given FIFA’s strict code of conduct and the fact that the vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups is only six weeks away.

FIFA could theoretically postpone the December 2 vote until early next year but is under increasing pressure to take action against both Temarii and Adamu in order to restore some semblance of credibility in the midst of the most explosive World Cup corruption claims in years.

But Temarii says making him scapegoat would be unfair.

“I am not shocked by these revelations because I know what I did.

“And I know what I have to do.

“You have only heard 15 seconds of the interview.

“Maybe you should hear the full 45 minutes.

“Then you will understand everything.”

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