{"id":7142,"date":"2018-10-06T11:30:03","date_gmt":"2018-10-06T10:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/?p=7142"},"modified":"2019-09-19T20:59:46","modified_gmt":"2019-09-19T19:59:46","slug":"the-country-that-split-in-two-papua-new-guinea-david-chung-and-the-unknown-fifa-corruption-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsgazette.co.uk\/the-country-that-split-in-two-papua-new-guinea-david-chung-and-the-unknown-fifa-corruption-scandal\/","title":{"rendered":"The country that split in two: Papua New Guinea, David Chung and the unknown FIFA corruption scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The PNG Football Stadium is located 13,996km from London in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. A stadium that plays host to a nation ranked 180th<\/sup> in the world, who have never qualified for the World Cup and don\u2019t have a professional league. Surely then, it is a place of little significance to the footballing world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is certainly the trap the western media have fallen into. In fact, Papua New Guinean football lies at the heart of a fresh corruption scandal, picking at old wounds from the days of Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA chief who was ousted from the organisation in 2015. While the old man sits at home rueing the break-up of his empire, still no doubt chuntering about how it was all a set-up, step forward new antagonist David Chung.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the story of football\u2019s biggest corruption scandal you haven\u2019t heard about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chung moved to Papua New Guinea in 1985 from his homeland Malaysia and quickly rose up the ranks from football player, to referee, to coach, to senior official and finally becoming the president of the Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNG FA) in 2004. He was elected onto the FIFA Council and in 2011, elected president of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) after his predecessor, Reynald Temarii, was caught selling his vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chung helped found the country\u2019s first semi-professional league, boosting both women\u2019s and grassroots football, as well as overseeing the construction of a new national football academy and technical centre which saw him earn an OBE in the 2012 Queen\u2019s Birthday Honours List.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chung\u2019s achievements highlight what a key player in world football he had made himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though the OFC is only comprised of 14 nations \u2014 many of whom are some of FIFA\u2019s smallest members \u2014 Chung\u2019s power was extensive. He was a close ally of Blatter\u2019s and, unlike his other cronies Issa Hayatou and Jack Warner, Chung not only managed to maintain his position but was elevated to the position of Senior Vice President of FIFA. Behind Gianni Infantino, he was the second most powerful man in football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all came crashing down this April, however, when he resigned from his positions citing personal reasons. Might these have been that he was facing a vote of no confidence from the OFC? Or perhaps the news that FIFA were to audit the OFC\u2019s finances, which have not been made public since 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The allegations he now faces revolve around the $20 million building project for OFC\u2019s new headquarters in Auckland. Blatter approved a $10 million loan for the project \u2014 not a crime, but the practice of generous gifts to smaller nations in return for their support was common place during the Blatter administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investigation surrounds the companies awarded the building contracts. It appears that many were handed the contracts without a tendering process, despite the fact they had been set up shortly before they were awarded the contracts and had no track record or experience. Some are even believed to have close relationship with Chung-owned companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>