Parliament quizzes Polish FA chairman over alleged corruption

Gregorz Lato: photo - PAP/Leszek Symanski

The committee hearing comes the day after the resignation of PZPN secretary-general Zdzisław Kręcina, following a video emerging last week which some say shows that he and Lato were involved in corrupt deals when building the association's new HQ building.

Lato told the Parliamentary Committee on Sports, Culture and Tourism that after viewing the video tape: “I will not deny that some things of a private nature were raised before things became heated.”

He said that Kręcina offered his resignation yesterday at an extraordinary meeting of the PZPN board.

The corruption scandal comes just seven months before the start of the Euro 2012 football championships being co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

Lato said that he does not know where media claims that he earned 120,00 zloty (30,000 euro) a month came from. “I earn 50,000 zloty, gross,” he said.

He added that he had to leave the meeting to be on a plane at 11.00 am to go to Kiev for the Euro 2012 group stage draw in Kiev tomorrow.

Kazimierz Greń, the PZPN member who made public the covert video recording last Friday said this morning: “Grzegorz Lato has no honour – he should go.”

Former Polish international goalkeeper, MP Jan Tomaszewski and team mate in the 1970s with the now PZPN chairman told media this morning: “Lato used to be my friend but now he is in disrepute”. (pg)