Lawyer on FIFA committee

By HENRY MORABANG
SENIOR government lawyer Jack Kariko has been appointed as a member of the newly-established FIFA Ethics Committee Adjudicatory Chamber.
Kariko’s appointment was submitted and endorsed by Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA) president David Chung and was announced by FIFA president Joseph Blatter during the 62nd FIFA Congress in Budapest, Hungary, on May 25.
Kariko, the Deputy Secretary (legal and policy) with the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, now joins other Papua New Guineans holding positions with the FIFA committee.
Chung, who is the Oceania Football Confederation president, automatically qualifies as a FIFA vice-president and is chairman of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Organising Committee and vice-chairman of the marketing and TV committee and medical commission.
Other PNG nationals on FIFA committee are PNGFA vice-president John Kapi Natto, who is a committee member of the FIFA Club World Cup, PNGFA women’s representative Linda Wonuhali is on the committee for women’s football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, while PNGFA lawyer, Daniel Kakaraya is a member of FIFA Appeals Committee.
Chung said Kariko was the right person as he had vast experience in international law.
“His experience is important to FIFA and FIFA needs independent people to show transparency,” he said.
“He met all the requirements and qualifications and PNG football must be proud of him.”
Chung said committee member did not have to be a soccer lawyer but to deal with the code of ethics on people charged with bribery, corruption and conflict of interest.
Kariko is a lawyer in international law, providing general and specific legal advice on international law matters for the PNG government.
His other interest is rugby union and he is vice-president of Motuan Warriors rugby union club in the Port Moresby Rugby Union competition.
Other members of the committee are: Chairman: Hans-Joachim Eckert (Germany), Petrus Damaseb (Namibia), Juan Pedro Damiani (Uruguay), Burton Haimes (USA), Abdoulaye Mokhtar Diop (Senegal), Kariko (PNG), Yngve Hallén (Norway) and Thi My Dung Nguyen (Vietnam).