US indictment alleges a number of FIFA officials accepted bribes for World Cup
US indictment alleges a number of FIFA executives, including former vice-president Jack Warner, accepted bribes in exchange for Russia and Qatar World Cup votes
- A new US indictment alleged that a number of FIFA officials accepted bribes
- It is claimed Jack Warner received $5 million to vote for Russia to host in 2018
- It was also alleged the total arrived through more than two dozen wire transfers
- Ricardo Teixeira and Nicolas Leoz had also allegedly accepted bribes to vote
A potentially significant twist in the case against former football figures involved in a corruption scandal has laid bare the extent of bribes allegedly concerned with the staging of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The US indictment sensationally alleges that a number of ex-FIFA officials accepted bribes in exchange for their votes in connection to the Russia and Qatar showpieces.
Disgraced former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who was hit with a lifetime ban in 2015, is said to have received $5 million in exchange for his vote in favour of Russia hosting the tournament two years ago.
A US indictment alleges that ex-FIFA officials accepted bribes in exchange for World Cup votes
The indictment, which was unsealed Monday in the US District Court in Brooklyn, claims Nicolás Leoz and Ricardo Teixeira also received bribes to vote for Qatar at the 2010 FIFA executive committee meeting.
It says: ‘Several executive committee members were offered or received bribes in connection with their votes. For example, the defendant Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Co-Conspirator #1 were offered and received bribe payments in exchange for their votes in favour of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup.
‘In addition, the defendant Jack Warner was promised and received bribe payments totalling $5 million and Rafael Salguero was promised a $1 million bribe in exchange for their votes in favour of Russia to host the 2018 World Cup.’
Warner was banned entirely from the game in 2015 for committing ‘many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly’ according to FIFA’s ethics committee.
Jack Warner allegedly received $5m in exchange for his vote in favour of Russia for 2018
Leoz was the president of the governing body CONMEBOL at the time of voting, and Teixeira had been the chief of the Brazilian Football Confederation.
The latter was banned from football in 2019 by FIFA for accepting multiple bribes between 2006 and 2012.
And Leoz, who died last year at the age of 90, had been under house arrest in Paraguay and fighting extradition to the US.
Russia beat England and several joint bids on the way to being handed the 2018 tournament
According to the indictment, Guatemala federation president Rafael Salguero was also promised a $1million bribe.
The awarding of both World Cups has been shrouded in controversy – with Qatar having fended off…
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