26 October 2010

FIFA has widened its probe into alleged World Cup bidding corruption after a former administrator reportedly claimed two candidates have colluded to trade votes.

 FIFA said it has "immediately requested to receive all ... potential evidence'' from Britain's Sunday Times newspaper regarding its reporting of comments from Michel Zen-Ruffinen, who was general secretary of FIFA for four years ending in 2002. Zen-Ruffinen was secretly filmed saying Qatar and the joint Spain-Portugal bid have struck a deal giving each seven votes from the 24-man FIFA executive committee that is choosing World Cup hosts in December. Spain-Portugal wants to host in 2018 and Qatar is a 2022 candidate. Both need 13 votes to earn a victory under existing rules. "So they start with seven (votes) which ... was not expected by the other candidates. And this is not just a rumor, that's fact,'' Zen-Ruffinen was quoted as saying to reporters posing as lobbyists working on behalf of one bidder. Members of FIFA's executive committee declined to comment on the allegations at the organization's headquarters ahead of a week of scheduled meetings. FIFA President Sepp Blatter will chair a two-day executive meeting starting Thursday that is to set voting rules for the secret World Cup ballot on December 2 in Zurich. The 2018 contest is between England, Russia and the joint bids of Belgium-Holland and Spain-Portugal. The 2022 race involves the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar. In a statement issued on Monday, FIFA said it will refer Zen-Ruffinen's interview to its ethics committee, which last week officially launched an investigation into alleged illegal collusion between bidders, which it did not name. Officials from the Spain-Portugal and Qatar bids have not confirmed they are being investigated, while Portuguese federation president Gilberto Madail dismissed the allegations last week as a smear campaign. The ethics panel also is investigating two current and provisionally suspended four former members of FIFA's ruling executive following allegations by the Sunday Times that the bidding process was corrupt. Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti were filmed seeming to offer their votes in exchange for funding for soccer projects. They were provisionally suspended from all soccer duties for 30 days after appearing last Wednesday before FIFA's ethics court, which used videos and transcripts provided by the newspaper. Former executive committee members Slim Aloulou of Tunisia, Amadou Diakite of Mali, Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana and Ahongalu Fusimalohi of Tonga were suspended after they gave the Sunday Times details of corruption in the bidding process. The ethics panel is scheduled to deliver verdicts on its separate investigations - into officials and bidders - at a meeting in mid-November, less than three weeks before the vote to select hosts for 2018 and 2022. Zen-Ruffinen was recorded suggesting FIFA voters could be bribed with offers of money or women. He later told the newspaper he exaggerated his claims to help gain a consultancy fee and had only offered to assist reporters contacting FIFA officials. In an interview with Swiss daily Le Matin published Monday, he said he planned to sue the British reporters and possibly their newspaper, claiming they breached confidentiality and filmed him without permission. He also called for FIFA to appoint an external investigator.{jcomments on}

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