23 Nov 2010

Claiming innocence, Tahiti's Temarii says FIFA suspension political

7:01 pm on 23 November 2010

The suspended head of the Tahitian Football Federation, Reynald Temarii, says he has been suspended from the FIFA executive for political reasons.

Mr Temarii has told a news conference in Papeete that the FIFA secretary general, Sepp Blatter, has sent him a letter exonerating him of any suspicion of conflict of interest, corruption or accepting gifts.

He says after suing the Sunday Times for defamation, he now plans to take legal action against the Tahiti Pacifique monthly.

Mr Temarii says certain members of the FIFA executive now also question the ethic commission's decision to suspend him.

He says he won't quit the world of football on the basis of a manipulation, a reference to the edited version of the interview published after the Sunday Times sting.