ZURICH: FIFA has frozen its ethics commission investigation into former executive committee member Chuck Blazer until the end of the year at the earliest.

In the meantime Blazer’s original and provisional 90-day suspension has expired so he can no longer be considered formally as banned from football activity.

Blazer, 68, former general secretary of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, played a crucial role in the cash-for-votes scandal in May 2011 which led to the exits from football in disgrace of both Jack Warner (then the CONCACAF president) and Mohamed Bin Hammam (then Asian confederation president).

Subsequently, however, an audit of CONCACAF’s financial affairs led to allegations that Blazer had received more than £12.86m from the association in circumstances which were questioned by an independent commission.

Blazer has always denied, vehemently, allegations that he abused his position and powers financially.

In early May he was suspended for 90 days by FIFA pending an initial investigation.

The suspension order was enacted by Robert Torres, acting deputy chairman of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee after chairman Michael Garcia recused himself on the grounds of holding the same United States nationality as Blazer.

Torres has now decided to suspend provisionally the Blazer investigation after receiving written confirmation that the New Yorker “would not be engaging in any football-related activities until at least December 31, 2013.”

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