FIFA has told its 209 member federations of their "major deficiencies" handling tens of millions of dollars in project money this year. FIFA acting secretary general Markus Kattner says in a letter: "Control of FIFA development funds will be reinforced." Problems included failure to have a bank account specific for FIFA-approved money and poorly documented cash payments. FIFA says "expenses reported differ substantially from amounts budgeted and approved by FIFA." Invoices and delivery vouchers with third parties are "not documented sufficiently." Local laws relating to contracts and paying social taxes are broken. FIFA allocated $55 million to give each member a basic $250,000 annual grant in 2016. Members can get an additional $600,000 for specific projects. FIFA's audit committee reviews each member's accounts at least once every five years. Exco to lead CONCACAF CONCACAF, the crisis-hit governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, whose acting president Alfredo Hawit was arrested last week, has decided not to appoint a new interim leader. Hawit was arrested in Zurich Thursday and was indicted by the US Department of Justice on corruption charges as part of its investigation into world governing body FIFA. The Honduran had taken over the helm of CONCACAF following the May arrest of previous president Jeffrey Webb, also on corruption charges, in Zurich before a FIFA meeting. Webb has pleaded guilty to the charges after being extradited to the United States. Cayman Islander Webb himself had come to power after the downfall of long-term CONCACAF president Jack Warner of Trinidid and Tobago who has also been indicted and faces extradition to the United States, which he is fighting. Miami-based CONCACAF announced Monday that it would not select another interim president and would instead leave its executive committee (Exco) to run its affairs until a congress in Mexico City on May 12. "The CONCACAF Exco concluded that, in light of current events, it is critical that the Confederation's next President be determined by a public election and the scrutiny that comes with it," read the statement. The organization said its elected leaders would "serve in an advisory capacity" to CONCACAF's acting general secretary, Ted Howard, and director-level staff. "It is critical for the Confederation's future that the next President be elected by the full Congress, rather than statutorily appointed," Jamaican EXCO member Horace Burrell said in the statement. That meeting formed part of the ‘cash for votes' scandal surrounding Qatari Mohammed Bin Hammam's bid to be FIFA president. Burrell has denied any wrongdoing. The United States is a member of CONCACAF and it was a longtime American soccer official, Chuck Blazer, who became an important cooperating witness after secretly pleading guilty in 2013 to criminal charges. Blazer was once CONCACAF general secretary and a former FIFA executive committee member. Officials from CONCACAF member countries Guatemala, Panama and Honduras were part of the latest Department of Justice indictments announced last Thursday. Twenty seven soccer officials are under indictment in the United States over allegations they ran bribery schemes totaling as much as $200 million in the sale of television and marketing rights for soccer tournaments and matches. In addition, 12 people and two sports marketing companies have been convicted in the investigation by US prosecutors.
