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Post by Macmoish on Oct 16, 2010 20:55:02 GMT
Anyone "shocked. Shocked...?" BBC
Fifa officials 'sell 2018 World Cup bid votes' Two Fifa officials are alleged to have offered to sell their votes in the contest to host the 2018 World Cup, according to a Sunday Times report. The newspaper claims Nigerian Amos Adamu, a Fifa executive committee member, asked for £500,000 for a "personal project", against Fifa rules. And Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii, wanted money for a sports academy for his vote. Fifa will decide the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on 2 December. newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9099326.stm |
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Post by Lonegunmen on Oct 16, 2010 22:28:50 GMT
What is it with Nigerians and con schemes? Hello there, I am the daughter of Dr Nkondo Nkondo who recently deceased leaving me a small amount of 24.5 Million US Dollars but I need someone out side of the country to vouch for me and give me all their personal banking details. I am prepared to share this with you, say 10% of 10%........
The Sooner New Zealand leaves Oceania, the better. Playing tinpot coountries like Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caladonia are not doing anything for crowd attendences etc. Recently we had good crowds show up for the visits of Nicaragua & Paraguay and the quality of the opposition and crowds showed that people will turn up. Paraguay especially, were great to watch. Their ball skills and close control were fantastic.
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 16, 2010 22:53:14 GMT
Expanded from the BBC( Shame how The Times went subscription!)
Fifa officials 'offer to sell 2018 World Cup bid votes' Fifa will reveal who will stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on 2 December Two Fifa officials have offered to sell their votes in the contest to host the 2018 World Cup, according to a Sunday Times report. The newspaper has video footage in which Nigerian Amos Adamu, a Fifa executive committee member, appears to ask for £500,000. This is completely against Fifa rules. And Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii, wanted money for a sports academy for his vote, the newspaper alleged. England are competing to host the tournament in eight years time, as well as Russia and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Holland and Belgium. A 24-strong committee will decide by secret ballot on 2 December who should host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The footage, filmed by undercover Sunday Times journalists, shows Adamu wanting money to be paid to him directly for endorsing a bid. The reporters had posed as lobbyists for a United States bid. The US decided on Friday to withdraw from the running for the 2018 World Cup and instead concentrate on the 2022 competition. In the video, Adamu was asked whether the money for a "private project" would have an effect on the way he voted, he replied: "Obviously, it will have an effect. Of course it will. Because certainly if you are to invest in that, that means you also want the vote." Fifa has so far not responded to the allegations. newsvote.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9099326.stm
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 17, 2010 7:06:41 GMT
Again, just look at how various people get to be elected...Observer/John Murray
Fifa to investigate World Cup 2018 'votes for sale' allegations
• Two committee members alleged to have asked for payments
• Fifa has 'requested all information relating to this matter' Fifa confirmed last night it will investigate allegations that two members of its committee have offered to sell their votes in the bid to stage the 2018 World Cup. The race to host the tournament became clouded in controversy after the Sunday Times reported that Amos Adamu, a Fifa executive committee member from Nigeria, was filmed negotiating a deal with an undercover reporter where he would be paid £500,000 for his vote. Adamu requested the money, which would be used to build four artificial football pitches in Nigeria, would be paid to him personally. The deal was allegedly finalised last month in Cairo when Adamu confirmed he would vote for the USA to host the 2018 World Cup. The USA has since withdrawn from the race and will focus on the bid for 2022. It was also claimed that the president of the Oceania Football Confederation, Reynald Temarii, asked for £1.5m to fund a sports academy in exchange for his vote. In his meeting with an undercover reporter in Auckland, Temarii alleged that Oceania had been offered sums between £6m and £7.5m for their vote by supporters of two rival bid committees. A statement from Fifa last night said: "Fifa and the Fifa ethics committee have closely monitored the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and will continue to do so. "Fifa has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and is awaiting to receive this material. "In any case, Fifa will immediately analyse the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will Fifa be able to decide on any potential next steps. "In the meantime, Fifa is not in a position to provide any further comments on this matter." England are competing to host the 2018 World Cup with Russia, and joint bids from Spain and Portugal, and Holland and Belgium. The Sunday Times quoted a former member of the Fifa committee downplaying England's chances of succeeding because they refused to offer such deals. "England have got all the good reasons why they should host it but they don't strike the deals ... It's sad but true." www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/17/fifa-investigate-world-cup-votes-allegations
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Post by saphilip on Oct 17, 2010 8:01:12 GMT
A few questions;
Is anybody shocked - honestly, honestly shocked by what has happened?
Do you believe that this is a one off and has never happened again?
Do you truly, honestly believe that FIFA will do anything about it - and by that I don't mean Honest Sepp, Hopeless Platini, Incorruptable Jack and Good as Gold Issa asking for their share of the pie?
Do you believe that future bids will be awarded on merit alone and to deserving countries that prove they can host it?
Do you honestly believe that any country other than Russia has any hope of winning the 2018 bid (and I include England)?
If you are still in 2 minds then I will ask this last question;
When the FIFA organisation sat down to vote for the 2010 bid between SA & Morocco it emerged that not a single member of CAF voted for SA - and that SA only got the bid due to the European, Asian & CONCACAF regions who realised that Morocco's bid was built on straw. Now why was that the case - i.e. CAF voting they way they did?
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Post by Lonegunmen on Oct 17, 2010 8:05:40 GMT
Phil, allegedly corruption is alive and well.
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 17, 2010 19:31:06 GMT
... New Zealand ? 
New Zealand Herald
NZ in Cup vote scandal
By Isaac Davison and agencies 5:30 AM Monday Oct 18, 2010 Share Email A secret recording of an Auckland meeting is at the centre of a soccer scandal in which senior officials are accused of selling their votes for the rights to host the World Cup in 2018. The bidding process for the biggest sporting competition in the world has been thrown into turmoil by a British newspaper sting in which two officials from Fifa - the sport's governing body - are shown on film asking for money to fund projects. One of the men at the centre of the allegations is the most powerful soccer official in New Zealand's region, Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii.The Sunday Times reported that in a meeting with an undercover reporter in Auckland, Mr Temarii, 43, asked for $3 million to pay for a football academy in the city. Mr Temarii, who is from Tahiti, is on the 24-member committee which will vote on the venues for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in a secret ballot in December. The videotape showed Mr Temarii telling the reporter, "When people come to see me I usually say, 'What will be the impact of your bid in my region? If there is something concrete on the table, then it's interesting to discuss. If not, forget it ...'." He goes on to say that an academy would cost $3 million, which would pay for facilities in Auckland, including an artificial pitch. The Oceania confederation's New Zealand representative, Fred de Jong, a close colleague of Mr Temarii, said last night he was "very surprised" by the allegations. "I don't know the whole context so it's difficult to pass judgment. But I know Mr Temarii, and he's a great guy." Former All White de Jong added that the accusations were a "bad look" for global football and threatened to "bring the game down". Mr Temarii has been head of the OFC since 2004. He is also vice-president of the Fifa executive committee, and was credited with the revival of soccer in the Pacific. Before being elected to his OFC post in 2004, he played football professionally in France for 11 years and represented Tahiti. New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum said he understood there had been "some attempt to stitch up a deal". "We are not involved at all," said van Hattum. "It is an Oceania Football Confederation matter. Obviously OFC is aware of this and I have spoken to Fred [de Jong] about it but any statement will come from the OFC president Reynald Temarii who is in Zurich. "As far as World Cup 2022 is concerned, New Zealand have already committed their vote to Australia. "There have been all sorts of rumours but we, and the OFC executive, have already decided to vote for Australia." "We have yet to make any decision on who we will support in 2018." Four bids have been made for the 2018 tournament, from England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium. Australia and the USA have pulled out and are focusing on making bids for 2022. The Fifa vote on the bids will be in Zurich on December 2. The cash-for-votes claims are certain to provoke dismay among the hierarchy at Fifa - a body which has been dogged by allegations of corruption. Another official, Amos Adamu from Nigeria, was also videotaped by a reporter asking for $1 million, half of which was to be paid upfront, for a "personal project". The undercover reporters were posing as working for an American company, soliciting votes for the USA's 2018 bid before the Americans pulled out of the bid. A Fifa statement said: "Fifa has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter ... "Fifa will immediately analyse the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will Fifa be able to decide on any potential next steps." OFC said last night it was aware of the report, and was "looking into the matter". It is not the first time New Zealand has been caught up in controversy over bids for the World Cup. New Zealander Charlie Dempsey created an international row when he was head of the Oceania Confederation by backing out of his vote for South Africa to have the Cup in 2006. He was criticised at home and abroad for his non-vote, and was accused of giving the tournament to Germany. By Isaac Davison and agencies | www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10681305 |
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Post by Lonegunmen on Oct 17, 2010 20:27:04 GMT
Dempsey - Deceased now, but he was in it for himself. He said here that there were threats and intimidations towards him and his family hence his abstination. NZ had instructed him to vote for SA and his non vote left a very bitter taste in many NZ football fans mouths. Blatter allegedly promised the Oceania group winners direct access to the WC finals, Dempsey went for it, and straight after the vote gave the finals to Germany, Fifa back flipped and changed it to the Oceania winners to play the 3rd placed Asia side.
What a surprise to see a Tahitian on the alleged "take". Probably all cosy with Platini - whom I rate as bad as Blatter, just a bit more subtle.
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 18, 2010 6:16:26 GMT
Guardian/Louise Taylor
Fifa faces call to delay World Cup bid vote after corruption claims
• England 2018 World Cup bid team react with anger
• Fifa split over whether to suspend bidding process Fifa was tonight put under intense pressure to suspend the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups pending a full inquiry into alleged vote-selling by two senior officials. Allegations that two key members of the executive committee which will decide the tournament hosts offered to sell their votes have prompted turmoil within the corridors of powers at Fifa's Zurich headquarters and provoked carefully suppressed anger among members of England's 2018 bid team. The revelations have also caused a schism within football's world governing body over whether or not to postpone its vote, scheduled for 2 December, to determine the destinations of both World Cups while it investigates serious corruption allegations made in the Sunday Times today. Although some high‑ranking figures within Fifa insist the vote should still take place as planned other senior officials are actively pressing for postponement. This chimes with the demands of a source close to the bidding process who told the Guardian that Fifa would have to suspend it pending a full inquiry. Although privately furious to discover they may not have been competing on a level playing field, members of England's 2018 team were anxious not to derail a campaign they have poured considerable energy into by speaking out. "It's far too sensitive, politically," said a source. The public talking was left to William Hague, the foreign secretary, who said his government was "very disturbed". Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, who met David Cameron last week to discuss England's 2018 bid, has written to each of the 24 executive committee members promising an in-depth investigation and asking them to remain silent on the subject. One prominent member of the committee did speak out, however, and said the vote should still go ahead as planned. Chuck Blazer, based in New York, said he remained optimistic of a swift resolution and an early December vote. "It should not take the ethics committee very long to ascertain all the facts," said Blazer. "The date of 2 December was chosen specifically and I see no reason why this would be delayed." As the debate about whether to shelve voting on 2 December raged on, Fifa's ethics committee embarked on an urgent investigation into the allegations about Nigeria's Amos Adamu, the president of the West African football union, and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, the president of the Oceania Football Confederation. Both men are members of Fifa's 24 man executive committee and reporters arranged meetings with them by posing as lobbyists for a consortium of private North American companies who wanted to take the World Cup to the United States. The US, Australia, Qatar, Japan and South Korea are bidding for the 2022 tournament while England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and the Netherlands/Belgium are seeking to host the 2018 event. On Friday, the US, who had been competing on both fronts, withdrew from the race for 2018. During meetings in London and Cairo, Adamu allegedly told journalists that he wanted £500,000 to build four artificial football pitches in Nigeria. He was caught on camera asking for funding to support a "personal project" but subsequently claimed he had been discussing post-World Cup business proposals in his home country and that his vote was not for sale. Temarii is also alleged to have asked for a payment, in his case £1.5m to finance a sports academy, during a meeting in Auckland, New Zealand. The Oceania Football Federation has duly opened an emergency inquiry. In total u ndercover reporters spoke to six senior Fifa officials, past and present, who all suggested paying huge bribes to executive committee members. While Temarii could not be contacted yesterday, Adamu refused to comment. The Nigerian's alleged involvement could spell bad news for England's 2018 chances as the country's bid team has been closely courting the four African votes. As no African nation is involved in bidding for either tournament and therefore harbours no vested interests, the continent could hold the balance of power in the vote. Any potential suspension for the African confederation could consequently damage England's cause. In a statement yesterday Fifa promised to "immediately analyse the material available" but added the rider that: "Only once this analysis has been concluded will we be able to decide on any potential next steps." Whatever the voting time-frame, Hague will scrutinise Fifa's responses. "It's disturbing to read what we read in today's newspapers," said the foreign secretary. "These are serious allegations. We want all the proceedings in the World Cup bid to be carried out in a way that is ethically correct and that therefore means that everybody can respect the process and respect the result. Britain, whatever happens and whatever other countries do, will deal with this in a correct way, doing absolutely nothing corrupt, paying no bribes and not corrupting this system in any way." Blazer offered a different perspective. "I have met five different bid committees," he said. "All have been totally professional, not alluding to any other types of benefit. I don't think people should get the wrong idea of the the Fifa process. The journalists have created a scam, a trap. But just because an English newspaper did this story I do not expect any anti-England backlash on the executive committee." www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/17/fifa-world-cup-bid-vote
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 18, 2010 6:27:59 GMT
Telegraph/Paul Kelso
World Cup 2018: Fifa's 'Salt Lake City moment'
Asked how serious the cash-for-votes allegations published by
The Sunday Times could prove for Fifa, one experienced international source was in no doubt: "This is Fifa's Salt Lake City moment. If they do not act decisively now they will have no reputation left."
The name of the Utah capital has become shorthand in Olympic circles for corruption, and how to deal with it. More than a decade ago the International Olympic Committee faced crisis when the bidding process for the 2004 Winter Games, awarded to Salt Lake City, was revealed to be corrupt to the core. After two years of damaging prevarication, the IOC eventually acted, with Jacques Rogge replacing Juan Antonio Samaranch as president on an anti-corruption ticket. The result was the reform of the bidding rules for the Olympics. The culture of lavish hospitality, gift-giving and worse was replaced by a professional, largely transparent process with significant oversight from the IOC executive. It is not perfect and abuses are still possible, but as former sports minister Richard Caborn indicated on Sunday, it largely works. "We could not give them a chocolate biscuit," he said, referring to London's bid for the 2012 Olympics. For Fifa, a similar moment has arrived. For 12 years under Sepp Blatter's presidency, world football's governing body has earned a justified reputation for indifference to the abuse of power. Allegations of corruption, some proven, some not, have been frequent, with the fate of those in the firing line usually dependent on their political importance to Blatter. Defined by the alliances that support its president, the organisation's first instinct when faced with uncomfortable allegations is to deny, deflect, and to carry on regardless. Given the severity of the claims published yesterday, it is an instinct it can no longer afford to repeat. The apparent willingness of Fifa executive committee members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii to solicit cash for votes in the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding race cuts to the heart of what the organisation does. Fifa is first and foremost a competition organiser, deriving 90 per cent of its income and 100 per cent of its influence from the World Cup. If awarding that competition is proven to be corrupt, the organisation is immeasurably weakened. Fifa badly needs to follow the same reforming process as the IOC. The potential for corruption in the 2018-2022 bidding race is a direct result of a deeply flawed process that could not be more open to abuse if it was designed to be. You might even argue that it has been. First, by running the 2018 and 2022 processes together Fifa is encouraging deal-making between bids and confederations. Second, by running it so close to next summer's presidential election, in which Blatter is thus far the only declared candidate, the bids have become entwined in the machinations surrounding his future. Third, the process is opaque in the extreme. The regulations governing conduct are fuzzy, and the procedure is being made up as they go along. With less than 50 days until the scheduled vote on Dec 2, even the procedure for establishing the winners is yet to be agreed. The bids do not even know which of 2018 and 2022 will be voted on first or how the voting will proceed. It is too late for this process to be reformed, and it may not be possible under this president. But in light of these allegations, there can no longer be any doubt that it is necessary. The who’s who and what’s what of the governing body Fifa executive committee The main decision-making body of the organisation in the intervals of congress. Its members are elected by the Fifa congress, and consists of a president, elected by the congress in the year following a Fifa World Cup, eight vice-presidents and 15 members, appointed by the confederations and associations. It meets at least twice a year, with the mandate for each member lasting four years. Its role includes determining the dates, locations and format of tournaments, appointing Fifa delegates to the IFAB and electing and dismissing the general secretary on the proposal of the Fifa president. President Joseph S Blatter, Switzerland General Secretary Jerome Valcke, France Senior Vice-President Julio Grondona, Argentina Vice-Presidents Issa Hayatou, Cameroon Chung Mong Joon, South Korea Jack Warner, Trinidad and Tobago Ángel María Villar, Spain Michel Platini, France Reynald Temarii, Tahiti Geoff Thompson, England Members Michel D’Hooghe, Belgium Ricardo Terra Teixeira, Brazil Mohammed Bin Hammam, Qatar Senes Erzik, Turkey Chuck Blazer, United States of America Nicolas Leoz, Paraguay Worawi Makudi, Thailand Junji Ogura, Japan Amos Adamu, Nigeria Marios Lefkaritis, Cyprus Jacques Anouma, Ivory Coast Franz Beckenbauer, Germany Rafael Salguero, Guatemala Hany Abo Rida, Egypt Vitaly Mutko, Russia www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/8069843/World-Cup-2018-Fifas-Salt-Lake-City-moment.htmlTelegraph
Fifa president Sepp Blatter writes letter to members after World Cup 2018 bribery row
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has admitted the 'cash for votes' World Cup 2018 bribery scandal has had a "very negative impact" on the world governing body. By Telegraph staff and agencies Blatter has written to all 24 executive committee members promising a full investigation into allegations in the Sunday Times that two members were involved in a cash-for-votes World Cup bidding scandal. Blatter's letter says: "I am sorry to have to inform you of a very unpleasant situation, which has developed in relation to an article published today in the Sunday Times titled 'World Cup votes for sale'. Crowd trouble halts Italy-Serbia clash "The information in the article has created a very negative impact on Fifa and on the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups. Some current and former members of the executive committee are mentioned in the article." He adds: "Fifa will... open an in-depth investigation, which we will start immediately together with the Fifa ethics committee and the Fifa secretary general. "I will keep you duly informed of any further developments. In the meantime, I would like to ask you to refrain from making any public comments on this matter." www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/8069527/Fifa-president-Sepp-Blatter-writes-letter-to-members-after-World-Cup-2018-bribery-row.html
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 19, 2010 6:22:24 GMT
What's bribery and vote rigging - and what's exactly what all knew what was going on (or at least strongly suspected). An example of why sunlight is the best disinfectant...Total transparency for what's going on.Guardian/Owen Gibson
Fifa widens its net in investigation over World Cup bribery claims
• Bidding nations face potential suspension
• New questions are raised over process Fifa has widened its investigation into bribery allegations against two members of its executive committee to include the potential suspension of one or more bidding nations involved in the race to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Following a day of crisis meetings at its Zurich HQ involving the president, Sepp Blatter, and the secretary general, Jérôme Valcke, Fifa attempted to wrest back the initiative in the wake of damaging allegations that Nigeria's Amos Adamu and the Oceania representative, Reynald Temarii, had offered effectively to sell their votes. Adamu has declined to comment. "I'm confident about my integrity but I made a mistake by talking in that way," Temarii said. "I asked the Fifa president to investigate. I gave him a letter. It's important for me that the ethics committee investigates how I manage my relations with bidders." But the claims have prompted a host of questions about the transparency of the bidding process and the likelihood of corruption. Fifa has asked Claudio Sulser, chairman of its ethics committee, to "act without delay to take all possible steps, including the possibility of provisional measures" against the pair and Fifa officials who are also implicated. The ethics committee will meet on Wednesday and could also suspend one or more bidding nations. "Fifa also confirms that the alleged agreements between member associations would also be a clear violation of the bid registration document and the code of ethics. Therefore, an investigation has also been opened into the member associations in question as well as their bid committees," it said. The allegations in question are believed to refer to persistent rumours of vote trading between bidders for 2018 and 2022. Given the way the process has been designed, with both tournaments being awarded on 2 December, some believe alliances are inevitable. However, Valcke, who sits on the executive committee alongside the 24 members but does not have a vote, said last month: "We will send reminders on the rules and conduct via our ethics committee. There are a lot of rumours around 2018-22 but I think we are monitoring efficiently what is done by the nine bidders, and we will also inform our executive committee members again at our next meeting in October about such rumours on vote-sharing and their responsibility." England are bidding for 2018 against Russia, Spain/Portugal and Holland/Belgium; the 2022 tournament hosts will be from Australia, USA, Qatar, Japan and South Korea. Mohammed Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian Football Confederation, appeared to suggest last month that vote trading was inevitable. "I will be naturally looking to the interests of Qatar because that is the bid for me. All the bidders are telling me: 'OK, if you vote for me I will vote for you.' That must not be surprising to anybody," he said. The England bid is not believed to be implicated. Those on the England 2018 team hope that the imperative to clean up the process, which could play well for their bid, will outweigh lingering concerns about the potentially negative impact on voters that the prospect of intense scrutiny from the British media could provoke.Fifa's executive committee meets next week in Zurich. The scheduled meeting of the ethics committee Wednesday will discuss whether to suspend Adamu and Temarii after examining the evidence from the Sunday Times investigation. Fifa's rulebook says its officials must refuse "any gifts or other advantages that are offered, promised or sent to them" and are forbidden from "urging or inciting" people to offer bribes "to gain an advantage for themselves or third parties". The Sunday Times filmed Adamu apparently agreeing that $800,000 for artificial pitches should be paid directly to him and Temarii, from Tahiti, appeared to tell the undercover reporters that funding for a football academy could be "helpful" in securing his vote. Adamu, along with the other three African voters, had been heavily targeted by all the bidders because it is the one continent without a country bidding to host either tournament. As such, the votes are seen as disproportionately important. www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/18/fifa-investigation-bribery-allegations
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Post by Macmoish on Oct 19, 2010 6:27:40 GMT
Telegraph
World Cup 2018: Fifa to investigate 'vote-swap deals' among bidding nations
Fifa on Monday night placed at least two World Cup bids under formal investigation and formally opened its inquiry into the cash-for-votes allegations against executive committee members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii. By Paul Kelso Published: 11:37PM BST 18 Oct 2010 Fifa’s ethics committee will open its investigation into Adamu and Temarii on Wednesday. The inquiry into alleged collusion between bidding nations opens up a significant new front in the scandal surrounding the 2018 and 2022 race. In a statement released on Monday night Fifa said that it had asked the ethics committee to investigate “the alleged agreements between member associations [that] would also be a clear violation of the bid registration document and the code of ethics”. Under the rules of conduct, bids are banned from “collaborating or colluding with any other member associations or any other third party with a view to unfairly influencing the outcome of the bidding process”. The Fifa statement did not name the bids that are accused of colluding, and is opaque as to where the allegations have arisen, but suggestions of a vote-swapping deals have been rife for months. Last month Telegraph Sport revealed suggestions of a vote-swap deal between Spain-Portugal and Qatar, who were said to have discussed trading influence in the 2018 and 2022 races. When approached in September, Fifa said it was aware of rumours of vote trading. “We believe that Fifa is monitoring closely and efficiently the activities of the bidders,” it said in a statement. It was unclear on Monday night whether they are the subject of the investigation announced on Monday. A spokesman for the Spain-Portugal bid said they would not comment until the Fifa investigation was over. The Qatar bid also declined to comment. Fifa said on Monday night that bids could face suspension pending the outcome of a full investigation. England’s bid are not making any comment but there is confidence that they are not the subject of any investigation. A spokesman for Russia said: “We are quite relaxed because we have fully complied with the rules at all times.” The investigation into Adamu and Temarii, as well as several other officials implicated in the Sunday Times story, was expected, and Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the ethics committee, met Fifa general secretary Jérôme Valcke in Zurich on Monday to discuss the investigation. Fifa confirmed that both men could face provisional suspension under the investigation opened on Monday. The ethics committee can enforce any punishment in Fifa’s disciplinary code, including banning officials “from taking part in any kind of football-related activity”. Adamu and Temarii were both with Blatter on Monday in Zurich to discuss the allegations against them. Adamu, the former Nigerian sports minister, was filmed discussing an £500,000 contribution to a football development project, and suggesting that the money should be channelled via a relative’s bank account. Temarii said he was looking forward to clearing his name with the ethics committee. “I’m confident about my integrity but I made a mistake by talking in that way,” Temarii said. “I asked the Fifa president to investigate. “I gave him a letter. It’s important for me that the ethics committee investigates how I manage my relations with bidders www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/8071964/World-Cup-2018-Fifa-to-investigate-vote-swap-deals-among-bidding-nations.html
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