Russia flatly denies US allegation of World Cup bid bribes

Russian officials on Tuesday flatly denied bribing a FIFA voter with millions of dollars to support country's winning 2018 World Cup bid, after American prosecutors revealed new details about alleged payments.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia h part in

“We can’t understand what this is about, or how to react,” Sorokin told Associated Press, referring to claims in a U.S. Department of Justice indictment unsealed late Monday. “We bid committee h thing to do with this. ... It looks like a perfect conspiracy ory.”

indictment said high-ranking FIFA official Jack Warner of Trinid and Tobago received $5 million in bribes to vote for Russia from 10 different offshore shell companies, which used correspondent accounts in U.S.

Warner was first indicted in 2015 on financial corruption charges that included a separate $10 million bribe from 2010 World Cup host South Africa. He was an influential FIFA vice president at time of Russia’s victory against three rival European bids.

Detailing a new digital money trail, fresh indictment said payments arrived in Trinid and Tobago via “densely layered transactions between and among offshore accounts,” including in Cyprus and British Virgin Islands.

Some money was wired using accounts that also paid "companies based in United States that performed work on behalf of 2018 Russia World Cup bid,” DOJ said.

Sorokin ackwledged hiring Americans in 2009-10 bidding campaign in which Russia beat three rival European bids to host 2018 World Cup.

“re was a designer company most likely having a legal dress in U.S.,” Sorokin said in a telephone interview. “re were a number of companies. Which one was U.S. based and which one was t, honestly, it’s hard to say right w.”

Two emails were cited in indictment as new evidence in sprawling investigation that first rocked FIFA and international soccer officials in May 2015.

One was written by “co-conspirator 3” in April 2011 and allegedly was sent to Warner’s assistant with vice on writing to accept receiving “5m” total payments “minus minimal bank charges.”

identity of . 3 has t been me public, but person has been described as “a close visor” to n-FIFA president Sepp Blatter and “or high-ranking FIFA officials.”

Asked if that person h any formal or informal role with Russia’s bid campaign, Sorokin said: “ne that I can recall.”

or email, also to Warner’s assistant, was written ahe of FIFA vote by “an associate of co-conspirator 3.”

“Kindly vise him (Warner) that ‘what was agreed is what is being done this week,'” email said. “Please also tell him that I am less worried about promises me to be fulfilled on my end than his ability to keep his promise when time comes.”

Russia won second round of voting easily with 13 of 22 votes. Two FIFA officials were removed from process after being implicated in vote-selling by a British newspaper’s undercover sting.

Russian President Vlimir Putin, who was prime minister in 2010, me it a national priority to host soccer’s signature event. He gave a

“Russia received rights to host World Cup in an absolutely legal manner,” Peskov said Tuesday. “This is t linked in any way to any bribes and we categorically deny it.”

FIFA's ethics committee found in 2014 that Russia and or candidates, including 2022 World Cup host Qatar, broke some bidding rules but y did t affect results.

“We abundantly responded to all questions,” said Sorokin, who has been a member of FIFA's strategy-setting council since 2017. “We have opened everything that we have. We don’t kw what else to say.”

However,

“Regrettably when people see Russia, y automatically — some people — think worst,” Sorokin said. “We do t agree with this stereo."

Warner has been fighting extrition to face racketeering conspiracy charges in U.S. since 2015, same year FIFA banned him for life. He dismissed latest allegations in comments reported by Trinidian media.

updated indictment also identified Russia as 2018 bidder a FIFA voter from Guatemala, Rafael Salguero, said he promised to support for a $1 million bribe. He never received money, and was sentenced to time served in 2018 after pleing guilty and cooperating with U.S. authorities.