Fifa’s chief ethics investigator Michael Garcia criticised the culture of secrecy at the world governing body yesterday and called for greater transparency and leadership in the organisation.

Garcia, who investigated the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, said he had been operating under conditions more suitable for “an intelligence agency.”

He called on the people running Fifa to show leadership and publish the 430-page report — Fifa president Sepp Blatter has said that to do so would threaten witness confidentiality.

Garcia said: “The investigation and adjudication process operates in most parts unseen and unheard.

“That’s a kind of system which might be appropriate for an intelligence agency but not for an ethics compliance process in an international sports institution that serves the public and is the subject of intense public scrutiny.”

He added: “Transparency is not intended to embarrass certain individuals by airing dirty laundry or to harm the organisation by showing what went wrong, it’s the opposite.

“Where the institution has taken significant steps forward and made that progress, transparency provides evidence of that to the public.”

Garcia cited examples from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the NFL where transparency had paid off — and a lack of openness had caused problems.

The IOC brought in rigorous new rules on Olympic bidding after revelations of bribes being paid to bring the 2002 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City, while the NFL has encountered enormous criticism over its investigation of an assault by star player Ray Rice on his fiancee.

Garcia said: “Look at the IOC where allegations concerning Salt Lake City were investigated and those results were published and the IOC moved forward.

“On the other hand where investigations have been opaque, problems and scepticism have lingered. We have seen that recently with the NFL where a lack of transparency in its initial investigation concerning Ray Rice fostered skepticism and questions about the integrity of its leadership.

“Now the NFL has had to bring in outside counsel to investigate the investigation. Notably the NFL has made clear the results of the new investigation will indeed be made public.”