World Cup ethics investigator Garcia resigns, slams leadership

MARRAKESH, Morocco, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Michael Garcia resigned his position Wednesday as independent ethics investigator at FIFA, world soccer's governing body, criticizing its leadership.

In his resignation statement, Garcia was critical of FIFA's choice to condense his 430-page report on the bidding process that resulted in rights to host the World Cup granted to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, into a 42-page summary with minimal attention paid to wrongdoing. Garcia, 42, was employed by the U.S. Attorney Office in New York before taking on the 18-month investigation.

Hans-Joachim Eckert, FIFA ethics judge and Garcia's immediate supervisor, declared the investigation over with the announcement of the abridged report. Garcia's appeal of Eckert's decision was rejected by FIFA Tuesday.

"No independent governance committee, investigator, or arbitration panel can change the culture of an organization. And while the November 13, 2014, Eckert Decision made me lose confidence in the independence of the Adjudicatory Chamber, it is the lack of leadership on these issues within FIFA that leads me to conclude that my role in this process is at an end," Garcia's statement read in part. The date refers to the announcement Qatar and Russia were cleared of any wrongdoing.

The resignation came as a surprise to FIFA Executive Committee members meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco. Prince Ali Bin-Hussein of Jordan, a FIFA vice president, said the resignation might provoke "a fight for people to view (the full report)."

"This is just emblematic of some of the challenges we have at FIFA," he added, noting that, in Garcia, "I have tremendous respect for people who take principled decisions."