Geneva - The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor in The Hague is the top candidate to lead investigations into alleged corruption at FIFA.
A person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Monday that Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina was suggested to FIFA's executive committee to chair the investigating chamber of a revamped ethics court.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the ongoing selection process is confidential.
The job gives independent authority to order probes into alleged corruption in world football. It has been judged key to driving genuine change promised by FIFA President Sepp Blatter after a series of scandals alleging bribery, vote-rigging, land deals and ticket scams.
The 59-year-old Moreno-Ocampo made his reputation in the mid-1980s when military officers from Argentina's former ruling junta were put on trial.
He was expected to be appointed by FIFA last week, but the process was delayed after the top candidate to lead the ethics court's judging chamber withdrew for health reasons.
Moreno-Ocampo headed a four-person shortlist for the prosecutor's role given to FIFA by an expert advisory panel led by former United Nations investigator Mark Pieth.
FIFA's ruling committee will meet June 29 in Zurich to consider candidates to be chairs and deputies for both court chambers.
Moreno-Ocampo's tenure at the ICC expires next month after nine years investigating allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.
Deposed regime leaders he has sought to bring to trial include Moammar Gadhafi's son Seif al-Islam Gadhafi from Libya and former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo.
Moreno-Ocampo is a former president of Transparency International's division covering Latin America and the Caribbean. TI helped FIFA launch its reform proposals last year before Blatter appointed Pieth, a Swiss law professor, as lead adviser.
Moreno-Ocampo also has been a visiting professor at Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
A person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Monday that Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina was suggested to FIFA's executive committee to chair the investigating chamber of a revamped ethics court.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the ongoing selection process is confidential.
The job gives independent authority to order probes into alleged corruption in world football. It has been judged key to driving genuine change promised by FIFA President Sepp Blatter after a series of scandals alleging bribery, vote-rigging, land deals and ticket scams.
The 59-year-old Moreno-Ocampo made his reputation in the mid-1980s when military officers from Argentina's former ruling junta were put on trial.
He was expected to be appointed by FIFA last week, but the process was delayed after the top candidate to lead the ethics court's judging chamber withdrew for health reasons.
Moreno-Ocampo headed a four-person shortlist for the prosecutor's role given to FIFA by an expert advisory panel led by former United Nations investigator Mark Pieth.
FIFA's ruling committee will meet June 29 in Zurich to consider candidates to be chairs and deputies for both court chambers.
Moreno-Ocampo's tenure at the ICC expires next month after nine years investigating allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.
Deposed regime leaders he has sought to bring to trial include Moammar Gadhafi's son Seif al-Islam Gadhafi from Libya and former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo.
Moreno-Ocampo is a former president of Transparency International's division covering Latin America and the Caribbean. TI helped FIFA launch its reform proposals last year before Blatter appointed Pieth, a Swiss law professor, as lead adviser.
Moreno-Ocampo also has been a visiting professor at Stanford University and Harvard Law School.