More extraordinary Fifa revelations this morning
The Fifa corruption scandal is once again making front page headlines this morning, and this time John Delaney is nowhere to be found.
The Sunday Times has published a video of several former Fifa officials discussing bribes that were allegedly being paid by the Moroccan bid for the 2010 World Cup.
Among those being secretly taped by reporters are former Executive Committee member Ismail Bhamjee, who claimed former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner was offered more than $1million dollars to vote for Morocco.
Recent allegations suggest Warner voted for South Africa instead having received the infamous $10million in funds labelled the ‘Diaspora Legacy Programme’, a payment which is now the subject of an FBI investigation.
Other officials are also seen discussing payments of between $150,000 and $300,000 for votes.
But Bhamjee also claims that, having discussed the vote with fellow members of the Exco in 2004, Morocco actually won the secret ballot by two votes, yet South Africa were named the hosts of the tournament.
“After talking with everybody . . . Whose votes went where? We’re all colleagues, you know. And then we found out that actually Morocco won by two votes,” the Botswanan said.
The video was recorded and handed to Fifa five years ago, and the lack of action is yet another stain on the organisation.
Meanwhile, a separate BBC investigation has discovered evidence that Warner did indeed use the $10million as a personal slush fund.
The 72-year-old has been indicted by US authorities but continues to deny any wrongdoing, however, the BBC has found details of three wire transfers totalling $10million from Fifa accounts to accounts controlled by Warner, who subsequently used some of the money to pay down credit card debt and personal loans.
More is alleged to have been laundered through a supermarket chain in Trinidad and paid back to Warner.
