FIFA disciplinary official banned for dishonesty

ZURICH (AP) A former member of FIFA's disciplinary panel has been banned from football duty for three years for dishonesty in a mandatory vetting process.

Edmond Bowen, former president of the New Caledonia Football Association, ''did not fill out the mandatory declaration of integrity truthfully,'' FIFA said Monday in a statement.

FIFA said Bowen breached a ''general rules of conduct'' clause in its code of ethics. Article 13 of the ethics code requires ''persons bound by this Code are obliged to respect all applicable laws.''

However, details of which incidents Bowen failed to declare honestly were not specified by football's governing body.

Media in the Pacific Ocean islands have reported that Bowen received a one-year prison sentence in 2010 and was involved in bankruptcy proceedings.

In 2011, Bowen was allowed to stand for election to lead the New Caledonia football body.

Bowen was then elected to serve on the disciplinary committee by FIFA's member federations at their 2013 congress held in Mauritius.

The disciplinary panel is FIFA's first court of instance, and judges on-field incidents in World Cup matches. It imposed an eight-match, four-month ban on Uruguay forward Luis Suarez for biting an Italian opponent in June.

Bowen was put forward by the Oceania confederation on a slate of candidates elected in Mauritius in a block. He was proposed months after a stricter code of ethics was approved by FIFA's executive committee.

FIFA said Bowen's three-year ban took effect Monday.

FIFA said it took the unusual step of notifying the case on its website because Bowen had not responded during the case to the ethics committee judging chamber, led by Joachim Eckert.