The FIFA Appeal Committee has taken the following decision on the appeal lodged by Gordon Derrick, the former General Secretary of the Antigua & Barbuda Football Association and President of the Caribbean Football Union.

The FIFA Appeal Committee has partially confirmed the decision taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee, which was notified to Mr Derrick on 19 September 2017, reducing the ban from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at national and international level imposed on Mr Derrick from six to four years, and the fine from CHF 30,000 to CHF 15,000.

The investigation into Mr Derrick was opened on 6 March 2015. Mr Derrick was subsequently found guilty by the adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee of infringing articles 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits), 19 (Conflicts of interest), 15 (Loyalty) and 13 par. 4 (General rules of conduct) of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE). These breaches were confirmed by the FIFA Appeal Committee.

However, the Appeal Committee did not concur with the adjudicatory chamber’s findings of Mr Derrick being guilty of additional violations of articles 41 (Obligation of the parties to collaborate) and 18 (Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting) of the FCE during the course of the proceedings.

Based on the above, and while agreeing with most of the principles and arguments presented by the adjudicatory chamber, the Appeal Committee has decided to reduce the sanction imposed on Mr Derrick, following its finding that fewer articles had been infringed, and taking into account all mitigating circumstances of the case. The ban imposed on Mr Derrick came into force on 19 September 2017.