Friday, April 04, 2008

Polish football club co-operates with corruption watchdog

Widzew Lodz, involved in a wide ranging corruption scandal in Poland is to sign an agreement with Transparency International.

The co-operation is to initiate a complex programme aimed at preventing and fighting corruption in Polish football.

The planned audit is to include the structures of the club, its goals and basic rules of functioning, transparency of its financing and public commitments. Additionally an evaluation of the club’s anti-corruption policy so far is to be conducted.

According to Widzew Lodz vice president Marcin Animucki, co-operation with the anti-corruption watchdog proves that the club’s functioning is indeed transparent and that it is willing to actively participate in fighting corruption in sport.

The watchdog representatives cliam that the new initiative is likely to start some activities which in future could purify Polish sport.

Widzew Lodz was among the two football clubs which last year were relegated to the second league for their involvement in the corruption scandal which has seen over 70 officials, managers and players detained by police..

earlier this week, owner of first division football club Kolporter Korona Kielce, Krzysztof Klicki, announced that he is to stop sponsoring the club.

Klicki’s decision comes a few days after the Central Anticorruption Agency (CBA) and police arrested six individuals involved in setting up Korona’s match results for bribes in the season 2003/2004.
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