Cops Said No Criminal Elements In Fifa Fam Controversy Satees Says

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The Urimai secretary says he was told by the police that they would not be investigating his report on the matter.Urimai secretary Satees Muniandy had lodged a police report against officials from the national footballing body and national registration department. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Urimai’s Satees Muniandy today said he was informed by police that no elements of criminality had been found in the controversy involving the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven naturalised players
Satees, who had lodged a report against officials from the national footballing body and national registration department (JPN), said he was told this in an email from the police, notifying him that the authorities would not be investigating it.
In a Facebook post, Satees said he was surprised that the case had been closed so swiftly.
“Generally after a police report is lodged, the complainant is summoned to have their statement taken.
“But my report was closed immediately, without me being called in to have my statement recorded,” he said.
Satees, the Urimai secretary, lodged his report at the Dang Wangi police station last week over the alleged falsification of documents for the seven foreign football players.
He claimed that JPN and FAM had used falsified documents to obtain Malaysian citizenship for the players in order for them to represent the Harimau Malaya squad in an Asia Cup qualifier.
This followed allegations by Fifa that FAM had submitted doctored documents to field the players in the qualifier, claiming that the players’ grandparents were Malaysian when records showed they were born in Spain, Argentina, Brazil and the Netherlands.
The seven players facing sanction by Fifa are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.
FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.8 million), while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities.
FAM said it had identified a technical error in the submission process involving the players’ documents, which it said was made by an administrative staff member.
It filed an appeal with Fifa last night after receiving the latter’s full judgment on Oct 7. - FMT

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