FIFA names Slovenian auditor to monitor its finances

ZURICH - FIFA, which has been embroiled in a major corruption scandal, has appointed a senior Slovenian auditor to oversee spending, the global soccer body said on Wednesday. It said Tomaz Vesel, head of Slovenia's court of audit which supervises state accounts and public spending, would replace Domenico Scala as head of the committee which monitors finances. Scala resigned in May, saying that a resolution passed by the FIFA Congress the day before had taken away the independence of its watchdog committees which are seen as crucial to cleaning up the scandal-ridden federation. FIFA has been in turmoil since several dozen football officials and entities were indicted in the United States on corruption-related charges last year and Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into the way hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were awarded. Vesel was appointed on an interim basis and would stay in his post until next May when the next FIFA Congress, which has the power to vote in the long-term replacement for Scala, is held in Kuala Lumpur. "This is a vital role within the organisation and Mr Vesel's audit expertise and international experience will help reassure stakeholders and restore trust in FIFA," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Vesel pledged to ensure that FIFA operates "in accordance with international standards and continues down the path of good governance that has been set forth in the reforms." -Reuters