FIFA in eye of corruption storm

Zurich: FIFA`s bribery scandal spread beyond allegations about the presidential election on Monday to include the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, with evidence that FIFA`s second in command suggested the desert nation had "bought" the right to host the world`s biggest single-sport event.

Qatar`s World Cup organizers swiftly and "categorically" denied the claim made in a private email from FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke. Qatar 2022 said it was "urgently seeking clarification from FIFA about the statement from their General Secretary. In the meantime we are taking legal advice to consider our options." The issue compounded the problems for FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who was preparing to speak publicly today for the first time since two senior executives of world football`s ruling body were suspended. After years of dismissing claims of corruption, FIFA caved in yesterday, an extraordinary day in its 107-year history. Jack Warner and Mohamed bin Hammam were suspended following an inquiry into allegations that Caribbean football leaders were paid USD 40,000 each to back bin Hammam`s now-abandoned presidential bid. At the same time, FIFA`s ethics panel cleared Blatter of ignoring the alleged bribery plan, and left him as Wednesday`s sole candidate for the biggest job in the world`s most popular sport. However, the fallout from the two suspensions is clearly only just beginning. Warner, the currently suspended head of the 35-nation North, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) regional body, told British broadcaster Sky he would consult a Swiss judge about the legality of the suspension, even though FIFA statutes prohibit football officials seeking verdicts at a national court.Bin Hammam said he would also appeal, saying "the way these proceedings have been conducted is absolutely not compliant with any principles of justice" and that they "had been defined from the very beginning." Valcke confirmed today that he sent a private email hinting Qatar had "bought" the right to host the 2022 World Cup. The email was made public by Warner just after he was suspended. "For MBH, I never understood why he was running," Valcke told Warner in the email. "If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB (Blatter). Or he thought you can buy FIFA as they bought the WC." Valcke, speaking before a CONCACAF meeting in Zurich, said: "It was a private email and we will discuss it. He sent me an email asking if I want that (bin Hammam to run), he said that I should ask bin Hammam to pull out." Asked whether Valcke`s assertion about Qatar 2022 in the email was true, bin Hammam responded today by saying: "What do you think? "You would have to ask Jerome Valcke what he was thinking," he said when asked about the email`s contents. "I don`t know why he has said that. "If I was paying money for Qatar you also have to ask the 13 people who voted for Qatar." CONCACAF was meeting this morning to plan a future without its president of 21 years. Whistleblowers and suspected bribe-takers gathered together as FIFA seeks more evidence in the next 30 days for the inquiry.FIFA`s gravest corruption crisis was sparked by a file of evidence submitted by Chuck Blazer, the American general secretary of CONCACAF and a longtime FIFA executive panel member. Blazer on Sunday had said there was "much more evidence" to come detailing what happened when bin Hammam and Warner arranged a May 10-11 election trip to meet 25 Caribbean Football Union members in Warner`s native Trinidad. FIFA`s suspension of bin Hammam has meanwhile met with widespread anger in the Middle East. Asian Football Confederation Vice President Yousuf al-Serkal, an ally of bin Hammam from neighboring United Arab Emirates, said he didn`t believe the charges and saw them as a bid to remove him from the presidential race. "Bin Hammam has been mistreated," al-Serkal said. "Bin Hammam is the right person who should have been elected." "All the allegations were just from a report," he added. "I feel sorry for the person I have known for long time as a decent person." Newspapers in Egypt were especially critical of the 75-year-old Blatter, who is seeking a fourth term as leader of world football`s governing body. The Al-Dustour daily said bin Hammam had "surrendered to the tyranny of Blatter." Al-Gomhuria called the Swiss president a "sly fox who cannot be easily hunted" and compared him to that country`s longtime president, Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted from office earlier this year. PTI