Saturday 14 May 2016 15:10, UK
The head of FIFA's independent audit committee Domenico Scala has resigned in protest over what he believes are attacks by FIFA's leadership on attempted reforms of the scandal-hit governing body.
Scala said he was worried by a FIFA Council move to control the nomination of members of independent oversight bodies such as its ethics committee and audit and compliance committee.
The Swiss official has played a key role in pushing through reforms following the scandals that resulted in the removal of former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini.
"It will henceforth be possible for the council to impede investigations against single members at any time, by dismissing the responsible committee members or by keeping them acquiescent through the threat of a dismissal," Scala said.
He said the committees had been "deprived of their independence and are in danger of becoming auxiliary agents of those whom they should actually supervise.
"It undermines a central pillar of the good governance of FIFA and it destroys a substantial achievement of the reforms."
FIFA, now under the presidency of Gianni Infantino who has threatened a new era of transparency, revealed its disappointment with Scala's decision.
A statement on Saturday afternoon read: "FIFA regrets that Mr. Scala has misinterpreted the purpose of the decision taken by the FIFA Congress.
"The decision was made to permit the Council to appoint members on an interim basis to the vacant positions of the new committees so they can start fulfilling their roles as part of the ongoing reform process until the next FIFA Congress in 2017. In addition, the measure allows for the swift removal of members who have breached their obligations.
"The Council fully respects the independence of the Audit and Compliance and the Ethics committees, and any suggestions to the contrary are without merit.
"Mr. Scala has made unfounded claims which are baseless. FIFA is focused on reform and the path forward as evidenced by the appointment of a new FIFA Secretary General."
A statement from joint chairmen of the ethics committee Dr Cornel Borbély and Hans-Joachim Eckert confirmed they had no plans to follow Scala's lead.
"Dr. Borbély and Mr. Eckert do not regard the decision of the Congress to transitionally delegate certain competences to the FIFA Council to have any impact on the content of their work. Both chambers will continue to exercise this work in full independence."
On Friday, Senegalese diplomat Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura was appointed FIFA's first female secretary general.
