(ATR) Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup finals is rocked by allegations that it paid $1.5 million bribes to FIFA Executive Committee members Jacques Anouma and Issa Hayatou.
British MP Damian Collins told a parliamentary inquiry into football governance Tuesday that it had received evidence from the Sunday Times newspaper that the pair were paid bribes by a fixer employed by the Qatar bid.
The Sunday Times, in written evidence, also claims that a third Ex-Co member, Amos Adamu, was set to receive the same amount but was prevented from doing so after the Nigerian was banned from the executive following an earlier story by the newspaper.
Adamu received a three-year ban from football last November for asking the undercover reporters, posing as American lobbyists, for $600,000 in exchange for his vote.
MPs on Tuesday used a session during which Qatar bid strategist Mike Lee came under questioning to read out evidence submitted by the newspaper.
As well as the alleged bribes, there were claims that Qatar 2022 offered Ex-Co members funds for unspecified projects.
"Another allegation that was put was that Amadou Diakite, a former FIFA Ex-Co member, was quoted as saying that Ex-Co members were offered between $1-1.2 million for 'projects' by Qatar," said committee chairman John Whittingdale.
Lee said he had "no reason to believe" the allegations put forward.
"On London 2012 or Rio 2016 or whatever bid campaign I have worked on, I personally have never witnessed any improper behaviour - and that’s categorical," said Lee, the director of communications on the London Olympic bid.
Qatar’s Local Organizing Committee declined to comment when contacted by World Football Insider.
More Trouble for Hayatou
This isn't the first time a cash-for-votes allegation has landed Hayatou in hot water with FIFA– and with the IOC.
Hayatou, president of the Confederation of African Football and an IOC member from Cameroon, was also among three FIFA executives charged with accepting bribes by the BBC "Panorama" investigation aired just prior to the Dec. 2 vote for hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
At the time, the IOC stressed that no members were under investigation as a result of the exposéinto "FIFA's dirty secrets" but did, however, ask for any evidence uncovered by the show's reporters.
For more on the developing story, visit WFI.
Written by James Corbett.
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