Qatar accused of bribery to win World Cup bid

Two FIFA executive committee members, including CAF chief Issa Hayatou, have been accused of receiving a bribery of around $1.5M to vote for Qatar’s successful 2022 World Cup bid.

The accusations were made by British MP Tory Damian Collins at the culture, media and sport committee on Tuesday, banking on evidence from the Sunday Times.

"The Sunday Times' submission, and this is to be published by us later, claims that $1.5million was paid to FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma who went on to vote for Qatar," Collins said.

Hayatou’s bribery reports emerged in November 2010 when two FIFA executive committee members were banned by the ethics committee following an investigation by Sunday Times into World Cup bidding.

England 2018 bid

In the same context, former FA chief Lord Triesman, the initial chairman of England’s 2018 failed World Cup bid, accused four FIFA members of asking for bribes in return for their votes ahead of last year’s defeat to Russia.

Triesman claims that:

- Fifa vice-president Jack Warner asked for around £2.5m to build an education centre in Trinidad, with the cash to be channelled through him - and later wanted £500,000 to buy Haiti's World Cup TV rights for the earthquake-hit nation, again to be channelled through him.


- Paraguay's Fifa member Nicolas Leoz asked for a knighthood.

- Brazil's Fifa member Ricardo Terra Teixeira asked him [Triesman] to "come and tell me what you have got for me", with the implication being that he wanted something in return for his vote.

- Thailand's Fifa member Worawi Makudi wanted to be given the TV rights to a friendly between England and the Thai national team.

Blatter reaction

Meanwhile, FIFA chief Sepp Blatter said he was shocked upon hearing the news, vowing to take action against any proven unlawfulness.

"I was shocked, but one has to see the evidence," the Swiss said in Zurich.

"They are coming from other confederations, so I cannot say that they are all angels or all devils.

"There is a new round of information, give us time to digest that and start the investigation by asking for evidence on what has been said. We will react immediately against all those in breach of the ethics code rules."