FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he still intends to publish files that name officials implicated in the ISL corruption scandal, despite legal measures being taken "by one of the parties involved".
World football's governing body released a statement on Tuesday admitting that they would have to delay plans to publish the files -- related to FIFA's relationship with their former marketing partners International Sport and Leisure (ISL) -- probably until early next year.
"These measures request another thorough legal analysis, which will postpone the envisaged publication of the ISL file," read the FIFA statement.
Speaking in Zurich in October, Blatter had announced his intention to make public the files when FIFA's executive committee meet in Tokyo on December 17.
"It was my strong will to make the ISL file fully transparent at this meeting. I have now been advised that as a result of the objection of a third party to such transparency it will take more time to overcome the respective legal hurdles," Blatter has now admitted.
"This does not change my stance at all. I remain fully committed to publishing the files as soon as possible as an important part of my many reform plans for FIFA, which include handling the past as well as preparing the future structure of the organisation."
Last year, BBC documentary Panorama claimed that ISL -- who had obtained exclusive marketing rights for the World Cup before being liquidated in 2001 -- had offered payments to three FIFA executive committee members, including Issa Hayatou, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Speaking to France 24 at the end of last month, Hayatou rejected the claims, insisting that the CAF had received funds from the ISL out of "solidarity".
"We don't deny that ISL gave 25,000 Swiss francs (around $27,000) to the CAF. Nobody contests this," Hayatou said.
"We don't see how we are concerned with what the BBC are saying. This is something that happened 16 years ago.
"Why did the BBC not reveal it sooner if they had proof of corruption?"
Hayatou also insisted that he was not against the opening of an investigation, as requested by the non-governmental organisation Transparency International.
"If they want to investigate, who can stop them? We have nothing to hide, so if they want to investigate then let them," he said.
"The doors will be open."
Source: AFP
