FIFA in nasty bribery scandal

Posted by admin Africa & World Politics, Headlines Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Beleaguered president Sepp Blatter formally opened the 61st Fifa Congress on Tuesday warning of the dangers world football’s governing body is facing.

Blatter, welcoming Fifa’s 208 delegates at the opening ceremony which featured jugglers, folk dancers and singer Grace Jones, said he would speak in more detail about the problems facing Fifa before the business part of the Congress starts on Wednesday.

However, he warned: “I thought we were living in a world of fair play, respect and discipline but I must unfortunately say this is no longer the case because our pyramid, the famous Fifa pyramid, is suddenly unsure on its basis and there is danger.”

FIFA scandal: Official releases pictorial evidence

A picture of the money that a Caribbean football official says he was offered following a presentation by FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam has been released.

The money, as the picture clearly shows, was delivered in a brown envelope with the name of the Bahamas FA on it. Inside the envelope was US $40,000 in crisp, new $100 bills – four packs each of $10,000. For many officials from the Caribbean’s smaller islands, this would be the equivalent of several years’ salary.

The date was May 10, the place the Hyatt Regency hotel in Trinidad where the members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) had been invited to a special meeting to listen to FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam present his manifesto.

Afterwards, the 25 associations – whose flights and hotel costs for two officials each were being covered by Bin Hammam – were asked to attend a conference room to pick up “a gift”, according to an affidavit sent to FIFA’s ethics committee.

Fred Lunn, the vice-president of the Bahamas FA, was one of the first to go up to the room where he was handed a large brown envelope. When he opened it “stacks of $100 fell out and on to the table.

-Vanguard

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