Published 14:44 IST, April 7th 2020
FIFA accused of accepting bribes to vote for hosting WC in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022
FIFA has come under the microscope with a new scandal of bribes being offered and received by top executives for the venues of the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.
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FIFA executives were reportedly bribed in order to vote for the World Cup to be held in Russia and Qatar. Top-ranking football officials at FIFA have also come under investigation for the accusations. This isn't the first time that FIFA are under the microscope as the 2015 FIFA investigation case resulted in then-president Sepp Blatter being removed from office.
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FIFA bribe details: $5million toward former CONCACAF president's vote
According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), former CONCACAF president Jack Warner was offered a bribe worth $5 million to vote for the World Cup 2018 to be hosted in Russia. The Trinidadian has been accused of accepting the bribe by the court documents from the US DOJ. The report claims that Warner received the amount between November 2010 and April 2011 from more than 10 different offshore shell companies for his vote to host the World Cup 2018 in Russia.
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Various accounts were used to transfer the funds into Warner's bank which included over 24 different wire transfers. The transfers into the account were recorded and based on work performance for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. This has led to prosecutors stating that the former FIFA vice-president was bribed for his vote as hosts Russia reached up to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
FIFA bribe details: World Cup 2022 Qatar
Former president of the Brazil Football Confederation Ricardo Teixeira and the now-deceased ex-COMNEBOL president Nicolas Leoz allegedly accepted bribes to vote for the World Cup 2022 to be held in Qatar. It was also claimed that another co-conspirator Rafael Salguero, who served on the FIFA executive committee, “was promised” a $1 million incentive to vote for Russia in 2018 and Qatar to stage the 2022 World Cup. The court documents allege 53 accounts of illegal behaviour.
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FIFA bribe details: Coronavirus in football
The accusation of bribery surrounding FIFA comes at a time when the sporting world is reeling from coronavirus in football. With the World Cup in Russia already done and dusted, the grand event in Qatar might come under heavy scrutiny due to the FIFA bribe details that have emerged. The spread of the coronavirus has brought most football activities all around the globe to a standstill.
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14:44 IST, April 7th 2020