New York : South African officials paid more than USD 10 million in bribes to host the 2010 World Cup and handed over a briefcase stuffed with USD 10,000 stacks of banknotes in Paris, a US indictment has alleged.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said executives from soccer’s governing body FIFA took bribes in exchange for voting for South Africa to become the first African nation to host the tournament. An indictment unsealed in New York alleges that former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, 72, diverted a “substantial portion” of the funds for his personal use.
The document claims that Warner and his family cultivated ties with South African soccer officials dating back to the early 2000s and the country’s first and thwarted bid to host the World Cup in 2006. “At one point,” the indictment alleges, Warner ordered an intermediary to fly to Paris and “accept a briefcase containing bundles of US currency in USD 10,000 stacks in a hotel room” from a high-ranking South African bid committee official.
The intermediary, who was identified in the indictment as co-conspirator 14, boarded a return flight within hours, carried the briefcase back to Trinidad and Tobago and handed it to Warner. In the build-up to the 2004 FIFA vote on the 2010 host nation, a representative of the Moroccan bid committee offered to pay USD 1 million to Warner to secure his vote, the indictment alleges.
‘Charges baseless’
South Africa have dismissed as “baseless” allegations made in a US indictment.
“We are disappointed at the baseless and untested allegations and request proof from anyone who has contrary evidence,” national football association spokesman Dominic Chimhavi said.
“Our bid campaign was run by, among others, late president Nelson Mandela, former president Thabo Mbeki and several government ministers, who are men of integrity.” —AFP
