Pay back the money, Fifa orders takers of bribes
by Marc Strydom,
2016-03-17 05:00:00.0
THE South African bid committee’s payment to Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) was a bribe in exchange for votes in the 2010 World Cup bid process, Fifa said on Wednesday.
South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Dennis Mumble could not be reached for comment on the allegation. Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has called a media conference in Cape Town on Thursday.
His spokesman Esethu Hasane, pressed for a response Wednesday, said: "There is no immediate response. The response will be at the press conference."
Fifa published a "restitution request" on Fifa.com on Wednesday. Football’s world governing body wants officials alleged to have sold votes in World Cup bid processes to pay back illegally gained money.
"It is now apparent that multiple members of Fifa’s executive committee abused their positions and sold their votes on multiple occasions," Fifa said.
It said a payment made by the South African bid committee to Concacaf was a bribe in exchange for the votes of Fifa executive members Jack Warner, Chuck Blazer and a third, unnamed member.
"The scheme built off Defendant Warner’s corrupt vote in 1992 for Morocco to host the 1998 Fifa World Cup, when he accepted a bribe from the Moroccan bid committee in exchange for his vote for Morocco. Twelve years later, the Morocco bid committee once again offered Defendant Warner and Charles Blazer (who now also had a vote as an executive committee member) a bribe, this time of
1-million," Fifa’s statement read.
"But Defendant Warner and his family had already established close ties to SA during SA ’s failed bid to host the 2006 Fifa World Cup. For example, Daryan Warner (Jack Warner’s son) had organised a series of friendly matches among Concacaf teams to be played in SA, relying on his father’s network of contacts there.
"Daryan Warner had also served as his father’s bagman, travelling to a hotel in Paris, France to receive a briefcase with $10,000 in cash from a high-ranking South African bid committee official and immediately returning to Trinidad and Tobago to give it to Defendant Warner," the statement said.
"Ultimately, given Defendant Warner’s strong illicit ties to the South African bid committee, the South Africans offered a more attractive bribe of $10m in exchange for Warner’s, Blazer’s, and a third executive committee member’s votes.
"Warner and his co-conspirators lied to Fifa about the nature of the payment, disguising it as support for the benefit of the ‘African Diaspora’ in the Caribbean region, when in reality it was a bribe," Fifa said in the statement.
Mbalula has repeatedly denied claims of a bribe paid by SA. In June last year, he said at a media conference: "The South African government and (World Cup) local organising committee has not paid any bribe to anyone to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup."
The minister said the South African government would approach the US authorities to share the indictment and any information they have to enable SA to study the facts and take appropriate action.
The bribery allegations against SA arose after seven top-ranking Fifa officials were arrested in Zurich in May last year on charges of corruption made by the US justice department.
Warner and marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco later turned themselves in for arrest.
THE South African bid committee’s payment to Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) was a bribe in exchange for votes in the 2010 World Cup bid process, Fifa said on Wednesday.
South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Dennis Mumble could not be reached for comment on the allegation. Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula has called a media conference in Cape Town on Thursday.
His spokesman Esethu Hasane, pressed for a response Wednesday, said: "There is no immediate response. The response will be at the press conference."
Fifa published a "restitution request" on Fifa.com on Wednesday. Football’s world governing body wants officials alleged to have sold votes in World Cup bid processes to pay back illegally gained money.
"It is now apparent that multiple members of Fifa’s executive committee abused their positions and sold their votes on multiple occasions," Fifa said.
It said a payment made by the South African bid committee to Concacaf was a bribe in exchange for the votes of Fifa executive members Jack Warner, Chuck Blazer and a third, unnamed member.
"The scheme built off Defendant Warner’s corrupt vote in 1992 for Morocco to host the 1998 Fifa World Cup, when he accepted a bribe from the Moroccan bid committee in exchange for his vote for Morocco. Twelve years later, the Morocco bid committee once again offered Defendant Warner and Charles Blazer (who now also had a vote as an executive committee member) a bribe, this time of
1-million," Fifa’s statement read.
"But Defendant Warner and his family had already established close ties to SA during SA ’s failed bid to host the 2006 Fifa World Cup. For example, Daryan Warner (Jack Warner’s son) had organised a series of friendly matches among Concacaf teams to be played in SA, relying on his father’s network of contacts there.
"Daryan Warner had also served as his father’s bagman, travelling to a hotel in Paris, France to receive a briefcase with $10,000 in cash from a high-ranking South African bid committee official and immediately returning to Trinidad and Tobago to give it to Defendant Warner," the statement said.
"Ultimately, given Defendant Warner’s strong illicit ties to the South African bid committee, the South Africans offered a more attractive bribe of $10m in exchange for Warner’s, Blazer’s, and a third executive committee member’s votes.
"Warner and his co-conspirators lied to Fifa about the nature of the payment, disguising it as support for the benefit of the ‘African Diaspora’ in the Caribbean region, when in reality it was a bribe," Fifa said in the statement.
Mbalula has repeatedly denied claims of a bribe paid by SA. In June last year, he said at a media conference: "The South African government and (World Cup) local organising committee has not paid any bribe to anyone to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup."
The minister said the South African government would approach the US authorities to share the indictment and any information they have to enable SA to study the facts and take appropriate action.
The bribery allegations against SA arose after seven top-ranking Fifa officials were arrested in Zurich in May last year on charges of corruption made by the US justice department.
Warner and marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco later turned themselves in for arrest.
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