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Michel Platini arrested amid investigation into award of 2022 World Cup to Qatar

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Former UEFA president Michel Platini has been arrested over the awarding of the 2022 World Cup.

French legend Platini, 63, was elected in 2007 and served as president until 2015 when he was banned by the FIFA Ethics Committee for a series of breaches.

The report revealed that Platini was taken into custody on Tuesday morning as part of the investigation into the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar.

He is said to have been taken to the premises of the Anti-Corruption Office of the Judicial Police (OCLCIFF).

Qatar was named as the hosts of the World Cup in December 2010 but there have been a number of controversies regarding their suitability.

Former vice-president Jack Warner claimed an e-mail had been publicized amid allegations Qatar had ‘bought’ the World Cup – although the bid team has denied any wrongdoing.

Each nation votes on the host nation for the World Cup with Platini at the head of European football when Qatar was awarded the 2022 tournament.

He admitted to holding a secret meeting with the disgraced football official Mohamed Bin Hammam, shortly before casting his vote.

Of the 22-man FIFA executive committee who voted on the host nations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, 10 have been banned or are serving a ban for corruption breaches.

It was announced in 2015 that the tournament would be moved to the winter for the first time due to the searing heat of the Gulf summer.

There have also been issues regarding migrant workers’ rights in Qatar with estimates that up to 4,000 may die before the start of the tournament.

Platini was tipped to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016 before both were banned from football from four years.

The Frenchman was banned for receiving a £1.35m payment from FIFA on Blatter’s orders and has served three-and-a-half years of a four-year ban.

He claimed last year that he had been cleared by Swiss judges and is taking legal action over defamation and false accusation.

After being cleared, Platini had said: ‘I will come back – where, when, how? It is too early to tell. But I will come back to football.’

During his playing days, Platini has crowned Ballon d’Or winner three times in a row between 1983 and 1985.

The Frenchman made his name with Nancy and also enjoyed spells with Saint-Etienne and Juventus.

He was also part of the French side that won the European Championships in 1984.

 

 

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Ohanaeze Commends Wike For Tackling Insecurity In FCT

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By Chidi Ogbonna

President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, chapter, Mazi John Primacy Eze has commended the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for addressing insecurity, especially kidnapping.


Eze also commended the Commissioner of Police, Mr Bennett Igweh, for dismantling all criminal hideouts in the territory.


He also thanked the President of the Association of Eze Ndigbo in the 19 Northern States and Abuja, Eze Uche Egenti, for his support to Ohanaeze’s conventions and summits, especially in the FCT.


“The most important person we will thank for the success of this convention is the Chairman, Ndieze Igbo in the 19 Northern States of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Uche Ezeudo.


“I want to use this opportunity to thank the FCT minister for his prompt intervention, especially when the FCT was rife with kidnapping, causing residents sleepless nights. We appreciate his proactive response.


“We also thank the Igwe for his prompt action by dismantling all criminal hideouts, promising to persecute those arrested,” he said.


He decried the seeming marginalisation of Ndigbo in the scheme of things.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that Igbos have been in the dark for a long time, with respect to the measures embarked upon by the minister of agriculture. We have not been carried along, especially Igbo representatives in the FCT.


“We want to encourage the information minister to do something as Nigerians are in the dark, because as far as Igbos are in the dark, it is assumed that Nigeria is in the dark.


“I therefore advise the minister to address the hardship in the land. Citizens are suffering. He should see the situation as another COVID-19 at our door steps.


“We want to also use this opportunity to thank residents and the entire Igbo community for the success of the event due to their massive turnout. We also thank those that supported us in one way or the other.”

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