Soccer: Temarii fightback

Temarii. Photo / Supplied

Embattled Oceania football president Reynald Temarii is going on the offensive to prove his innocence in what he says are trumped-up charges.

Temarii was banned for one year and given a $6500 fine by football's governing body Fifa after being involved in a "sting" operation by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper. It suggested he would sell Oceania's vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup venues in exchange for a football academy; a bribe of about US$3 million.

Within minutes of arriving in Auckland on his way home to Tahiti, Temarii fronted a press conference at which he showed video clips of the sting, alleging he was filmed out of context by the Sunday Times - and had in fact rejected the idea.

Temarii is furious that, of the 98 minutes filmed of the meeting at which the bid to buy his vote took place, only four minutes of a "stitched together" transcript was shown to Fifa.

Temarii showed much more than four minutes yesterday. No evidence was shown that he had agreed to accept the money in exchange for his vote.

Temarii said it was strange he was confronted and covertly filmed in the Oceania offices with OFC staff present.

"That was unusual," he said. "Why would they expect me to agree to something like this when my staff could hear what was being said? All other instances of this sort of thing were done in bars and restaurants."

Temarii is still at a loss as to why he was singled out when, as far back as 2008, he had made it clear, even to Fifa president Sepp Blatter, that his vote would go to Australia. Unlike other Fifa members who vote on World Cup venues of their own accord, Temarii has always said his vote would reflect the wishes of the Oceania member countries.

He told the interviewer "you could give me $20 million but I will still not vote for you."

While, for the time being he accepts the ban and fine, Temarii has begun defamation proceedings against the Sunday Times.

"I want to clear my name and protect football in Oceania. From just four minutes of fabricating evidence, they found me guilty," said Temarii. "Yet I am the only one who would have voted with transparency."

Temarii and five other Fifa members copped bans of up to four years and fines of up to $13,000. He was cleared of bribery and corruption charges but now faces a new charge of "a breach of confidentiality". He has no idea what that breach is.

"Fifa have five days to give me a letter to explain why the ban stands," said Temarii. "I then have 10 days to appeal."

Temarii is banned from all football activity for one year from October 20. He must hand over the reins as president of OFC and the Tahiti Football Federation.

He has now lost the right to vote for the host countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on December 3.

"As a Fifa member, I accept their decision," said Temarii. "My problem is the allegations. But, I promise, I'll be back. If I had been found guilty of corruption, I would go."

Blatter yesterday revealed the bans had divided Fifa's executive committee.

"These decisions may not have found total support of all the members of the executive committee but they abide by the decisions handed down by the ethics committee," Blatter said in Zurich.

"You cannot avoid that football is affected by a lot of devils. I am not pleased about what the Times has uncovered because it is not very fair but it gives us the opportunity to clean what has to be cleaned."