ROME (dpa-AFX) - Swiss businessman Domenico Scala stepped down as the head of FIFA's independent audit committee on Saturday, alleging loss of independence of independent watchdog committees.
Scala had led reforms in the scandal-tainted global soccer body. He expressed concern over a resolution passed by the FIFA Congress on Friday to gain control of the appointment of members to its independent bodies such as audit, ethics and compliance committees.
Scala said the independent committees had been 'deprived of their independence and are in danger of becoming auxiliary agents of those whom they should actually supervise.'
'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,' he added.
Further, Scala said the FIFA decision 'undermines a central pillar of the good governance of FIFA and it destroys a substantial achievement of the reforms'.
The ethics committee has investigated and banned several top FIFA official over bribe allegations.
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