FIFA Corruption

[rdroze]

Probably won't be hard to fill up a whole thread on general corruption within FIFA.

In today's news, our buddy Jack continues to reap it in:

World Cup bid team compensated boss's wife with pearl pendant

Excerpt:

"AUSTRALIA'S World Cup bid team gave the wife of FIFA vice-president Jack Warner a pearl necklace last year after a complaint from Mr Warner that she had missed out on pearl jewellery given 14 months before to the wives of other FIFA officials.

The gift was given after the formal World Cup bidding period had begun and when the Football Federation of Australia was seeking support for its bid from Mr Warner, who is on the FIFA executive committee that will decide later this year on who will host the 2018 and 2022 soccer World Cup.

The FFA said the gift - with an estimated value of $2000 - complied with FIFA rules, which specify that gifts must be incidental or symbolic in value.

The Age yesterday revealed how the FFA paid tens of thousands of dollars for the Trinidad and Tobago under-20 soccer team to travel to Cyprus last year in a gesture warmly received by Mr Warner."

[Cooks]

"AUSTRALIA'S World Cup bid team gave the wife of FIFA vice-president Jack Warner a pearl necklace last year

Too many inappropriate images popped into my head after reading that sentence.

[Trillium]

Of course ... the wrong started with the Australians who ... fell into the trap of playing a crooks game, you dont give gifts or respond to inappropriate demands.... thats almost worse then asking for the bung.

[Trillium]

Fernado Sarney VP of the CBF, son of former president Jose Sarney ( the honable bandidto ) brother of Roseanna Sarney currently the unelected Governor of the state of Maranhao, and princessa of black magic ... has the Brasilian Federal Police asking the Swiss government to bring back 13 million USD in money he has in bank accounts in Switzerland.

Fernado ... the unsuccessfull son of Jose Sarney ( former president after the military government in Brasil was ended ) has apparently squirreled away money from various pots of federal and state money.

There is no indication any of the money was paid to Fernando to influence location of World Cup 2014 games, but his home city of Sao Luis and government of the Maranhao was under a anti-Sarney coalition ... and did not get any games for 2014 despite having a stadia of 80k capacity and significant hotel infrastructure equal to other citys that did reciieve games.

The papers here have not said if any of the money comes from payments ... that were destined for other football associations to help get votes for the 2014 games, and may have been diverted by Fernando Sarney to his personal accounts.

It is not clear to me from the stories in local papers if the Swiss banking authoritys are going to aid Brasil in getting its money back, there is no statement of FIFA supporting Fernando Sarney at this time.

Jack Warner from Trinidad and Tobago has been known to spend time with Fernando Sarney at FIFA conventions which is understandable ... and from what i can tell Jack has visted Amapa... a state close to the Concacaf members in South American ( Surinam, Guyana, Guyana Francaise ). Amapa interesting is represented at this time in the Federal Senate by ... Jose Sarney ... father of Fernando who after making his daughter a state senator in the Maranhao ... got himself elected in Amapa in the extreme north east of Brasil as a Senator.

Both Jose Sarney and his daughter Roseanna have alliances with President Lulu... who has used his influence to proctect the Sarney family compact in defending them during various scandals... i.e. the ambulance scam in the North East states.

It should be noted FIFA strongly objects to the influence by government ministers of sport or presidents of countrys in any FIFA governance activity.

Edited July 4, 2010 by Trillium

[rdroze]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9099326.stm

Two Fifa officials have offered to sell their votes in the contest to host the 2018 World Cup, according to a Sunday Times report.

The newspaper has video footage in which Nigerian Amos Adamu, a Fifa executive committee member, appears to ask for £500,000.

This is completely against Fifa rules.

And Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii, wanted money for a sports academy for his vote, the newspaper alleged.

England are competing to host the tournament in eight years time, as well as Russia and joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Holland and Belgium.

A 24-strong committee will decide by secret ballot on 2 December who should host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The footage, filmed by undercover Sunday Times journalists, shows Adamu wanting money to be paid to him directly for endorsing a bid.

The reporters had posed as lobbyists for a United States bid. The US decided on Friday to withdraw from the running for the 2018 World Cup and instead concentrate on the 2022 competition.

In the video, Adamu was asked whether the money for a "private project" would have an effect on the way he voted, he replied: "Obviously, it will have an effect. Of course it will. Because certainly if you are to invest in that, that means you also want the vote."

Fifa has so far not responded to the allegations.

[foreverthursday]

Too many inappropriate images popped into my head after reading that sentence.

You are a good man Charlie Brown.

[rdroze]

Via the 24th minute, there's a good FT article by Simon Kuper on some of the mindset that goes on behind the WC bid voting this week.

Three years ago, when the bidding to host the World Cups of 2018 and 2022 was just getting going, a lobbyist explained to me how the decisions would be made. Over lunch at the International Football Arena in Zurich – a cosy annual gathering of the game’s power brokers – he led me on to the terrace for a quiet word. There, he emphasised that what “the world” thought about the various bidding countries wouldn’t matter much. Instead, the only voters were “24 old men”. He meant the members of Fifa’s executive committee (Exco), who will choose the hosts for 2018 and 2022 in Zurich this Thursday. The lobbyist and his partner, he added, “know those 24 men better than anyone. We know their strengths, we know their weaknesses.” ...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/947b1958-f75f-11df-8b42-00144feab49a.html

[CanadianSoccerFan]

More Jack Warner corruption news

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/nov/29/jack-warner-high-court-judgment-world-cup?intcmp=239

Edited November 29, 2010 by CanadianSoccerFan

[CoachRich]

Here are You Tube links to the Panorama episode on FIFA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjlZw9NGSlU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wQy4eT4M9I

oophs had to correct the last 1 links now it's right

Edited November 30, 2010 by CoachRich

[rdroze]

Here's how bad it's getting for FIFA: the IOC is now starting to look like a beacon of integrity in sport:

IOC asks BBC to give evidence to authorities

By Karolos Grohmann

BERLIN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged the BBC on Tuesday to give any evidence of alleged bribes taken by FIFA executives to the proper authorities after the screening of its Panorama programme.

It also said it would refer the matter to its Ethics Commission as one of the executives involved, Issa Hayatou, was an IOC member.

“The IOC has taken note of the allegations made by BBC Panorama and will ask the programme makers to pass on any evidence they may have to the appropriate authorities,” it said.

“The IOC has a zero tolerance against corruption and will refer the matter to the IOC Ethics Commission.”

The television programme broadcast on Monday said FIFA executive committee members Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil, hosts of the next soccer World Cup, Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Hayatou and South American (CONMEBOL) head Nicolas Leoz took bribes from a marketing company to help it win a lucrative contract.

Hayatou, from Cameroon, has been an IOC member since 2001 and sits on its Women and Sport commission. He was also a member of the coordination commission that monitored preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The IOC is sensitive to corruption allegations after its reputation was severely damaged following the bribery scandal of the 2002 Salt Lake City Games where gifts were exchanged for votes in favour of the U.S. city.

Several IOC members were expelled and others reprimanded, and the organisation has banned travel by its members to candidate cities since then.

The Panorama programme was broadcast three days before FIFA elects the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands are bidding for 2018, with United States, Japan, Australia, South Korea and Qatar the candidates for 2022.

FIFA’s executive committee, which holds exclusive voting rights in the contest, has already lost two of its 24 members after they were suspended earlier this month for offering to sell their votes to undercover newspaper reporters from Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper.

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=reu-worldioc

[CoachRich]

Having the IOC on side is a good sign as they have more power than FIFA. FIFA like in the doping days can't afford to flip their noses at the IOC.

[rdroze]

I'm starting to feel like I'm spamming here, but Good God, it just never ends:

Fifa's demand to be exempt of UK money-laundering legislation

* Matt Scott

* The Guardian, Wednesday 1 December 2010

Fifa has demanded an exemption from a key element of UK money-laundering legislation as part of the government guarantees required in relation to the England 2018 bid.

Digger has obtained a list of the guarantees that were signed off by the government as part of the bid book delivered to Fifa in May and can reveal the presence of an incredible carve-out from existing laws. Guarantee 5, of eight areas of demands that Fifa has detailed for governments, relates to Bank & Foreign Exchange Operations. Section 5.B is entitled "Foreign Exchange Undertakings" and states that the government must provide for "the unrestricted import and export of all foreign currencies to and from the UK, as well as the unrestricted exchange and conversion of these currencies into US dollars, euros or Swiss francs".

The allowance would apply to hundreds of individuals ranging from the delegates and staff of Fifa, its confederations and member associations, match officials, as well as an unspecified number of unnamed "Fifa Listed Individuals".

Yet quite what the carve-out would be needed for is unexplained, and no such requirements were required by the International Olympic Committee for London 2012. What is clear is that they permit Fifa and those it anoints to be exempt from a major element of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. That states: "A customs officer or constable may seize any cash if he has reasonable grounds for suspecting that it is, recoverable [stolen] property, or intended by any person for use in unlawful conduct."

But if England 2018 wins and the government guarantees to Fifa are incorporated in law, customs officers must just wave it through. Indeed, this is just one of a long list of Fifa demands. The BBC revealed on Monday the existence of exemptions that will provide full UK entry-visa clearance and a tax saving worth hundreds of millions of pounds. No wonder Fifa stated the UK government has "certain reservations and qualifications to four government guarantees as contained in the government legal statement".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/dec/01/fifa-government-government-exemptions

[rdroze]

I was really bummed that England lost out on their campaign to get the 2018 World Cup, but maybe, perhaps, some good will come out of this...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/11/fifa-pressure-reform-bribery-scandal

European Union turns up the heat on Fifa to tackle bribery claims

Owen Gibson

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 11 May 2011 22.26 BST

The European Union is to make reforming Fifa a "key priority" as pressure from governments around the world for a fundamental overhaul of world football's governing body grew in the wake of fresh allegations of bribery and corruption during the World Cup bidding process.

As Fifa promised to investigate claims from the former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman that four Fifa executive committee members asked for money or honours in return for their vote, and further claims made in the Sunday Times that two more accepted bribes of $1.5m (£900,000) from Qatar, the Conservative sports minister insisted pressure on the organisation would increase significantly.

Hugh Robertson said an international consensus was forming that Fifa should be made to reform in the way the International Olympic Committee was forced to change after the Salt Lake City scandal in 1999. Then, 10 IOC members were expelled or forced to resign over allegations of vote-buying during Salt Lake City's winning bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

"I would like to see really concerted pressure from international bodies to get them to reform," said Robertson. "We're pretty wound up about it, the Dutch [and] the Australians are pretty wound up and there are a number of others."

He said finding a way to force Fifa to reform would be one of the "key objectives" for Poland, which takes over the running of the EU Council from July. "Cleaning up and reforming international sports institutions is a key objective of the Polish presidency for next year," he said. "If the commission take an interest, if whatever country is holding the presidency takes an interest, if we can sustain that for more than one cycle, then we have a chance. No organisation likes being held up to international ridicule and constantly being told they are corrupt. It's got to be much more transparent. They have got to be much more open and much more transparent."

Sepp Blatter, who is increasingly likely to win a fourth term as Fifa president on 1 June, and his challenger Mohamed Bin Hammam have promised reforms to Fifa's structure and procedures, including the World Cup bidding process. But there remains widespread cynicism about whether they will deliver.

Blatter said the allegations would be dealt with before the body's congress in Zurich in three weeks' time, when the 73-year-old hopes to win another four years as president. "We have to do it very fast," he told al-Jazeera. "We have a Congress to come and have to deal with this matter before the Congress and not just kick it out of the minds of Fifa and [say] we will deal with it afterwards."

"We have to do it now, immediately, and we have three weeks.We must accelerate the movement, whether it is for the good or for the bad."

All four of the executive committee members accused by Triesman have denied wrongdoing. Brazil's long-standing federation chief, Ricardo Teixeira, described as "absurd" the allegation that he asked Triesman to "come and tell me what you have got for me". Teixeira said he would pursue all possible "legal action against Triesman", although it is unclear how he would do so under English law.

As Fifa demanded evidence relating to the claims made by Triesman under parliamentary privilege, the FA said its general secretary, Alex Horne, had written to the world governing body offering its full assistance.

Fifa said in a statement that its general secretary, Jérôme Valcke, had written to the FA and expressed "extreme concern" at the allegations "questioning the integrity of some Fifa ExCo members in connection with the bidding procedure for the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups".

Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian Football Confederation who played a key role in securing the 2022 World Cup for his country, denied bribes were paid to Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma. "I can assure you nothing like this has happened from our side. If someone wants to damage reputations like this then they have to provide the proof. You can't just accuse people just like that. It didn't happen. It is fine to say something, to try to damage the reputation of somebody but where is the proof?"

In addition to the allegation involving Teixeira, Triesman claimed the Fifa vice-president Jack Warner asked for cash to build an education centre and buy World Cup TV rights for the people of Haiti; that Thailand's Worawi Makudi wanted to be given the TV rights to a friendly between England and Thailand; and that Paraguay's Nicolás Leoz asked for a knighthood.

Warner said he "laughed like hell" at Triesman's claims: "First of all, I laugh like hell because it took those guys from December to now [to say] that I have £2.5m, I believe. I never asked anybody for anything. When these guys came here, we promised to help. I showed them a place where they can put a playground. They promised to come back but they never did. That's all."

Leoz's spokesman called the accusations "pure fantasy and morbid", and a statement issued on behalf of Hayatou, the head of African football, said "he has categorically denied allegations of corruption brought against him before parliament in Britain. "This kind of reporting to create and propagate false information to destroy his reputation, leadership and integrity will not succeed. The president of CAF said all these accusations brought against him are pure invention and an attempt to discredit him."

[kj52]

FIFA is basically an organized crime syndicate. My fantasy is that the important football nations of the world would unite and start a new world football association that fully complies with international law and let FIFA run the third world until they go bankrupt. It also involves seeing Blatter, Jack Warner and their cohorts looking at the world through bars. All highly unlikely of course but it's nice to dream.

[rdroze]

Wow. This is huge. Is this the beginning of the end for our good buddy Jack?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13544347.stm

Fifa begins ethics inquiry into Bin Hammam & Jack Warner

Fifa is investigating allegations against four officials, including vice-president Jack Warner and presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam.

The allegations, including bribery, were made by executive committee member Chuck Blazer.

Blazer claims Fifa's code of ethics was violated at a meeting "apparently organised" by Bin Hammam and Warner.

The other two officials are Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester from the Caribbean Football Union.

The CFU represents 25 Fifa member nations as well as five territories not affiliated to Fifa.

The meeting, on 10 and 11 May, was in relation to the Fifa presidential election which takes place on 1 June.

Bin Hammam, the president of the Asian Football Confederation, is running against current president Sepp Blatter to be the new head of football's world governing body.

The four officials have been called to a hearing of Fifa's ethics committee in Zurich on 29 May.

Fifa has announced that Claudio Sulser, the head of the ethics committee, will not take charge of the hearing as he shares Swiss nationality with Bin Hammam's presidential rival Blatter.

The committee's deputy chairman Petrus Damaseb of Namibia will instead chair proceedings.

The Fifa statement read: "On May 24 2011, Fifa executive committee member and Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer reported to Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke possible violations of the Fifa code of ethics allegedly committed by officials.

"In particular, the report referred to a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), apparently organised jointly by Fifa vice-president Jack A. Warner and Fifa executive committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam, which took place on May 10 and 11 2011.

"This meeting was linked to the upcoming Fifa presidential election.

"In view of the facts alleged in this report, which include bribery allegations, Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke, in compliance with art. 16 of the Fifa code of ethics, yesterday requested the Fifa ethics committee to open ethics proceedings."

The allegations - leveled by Warner's longtime Concacaf ally Blazer- are likely to wreck Bin Hammam's already fading hopes of defeating Blatter in the vote by Fifa's 208 national members.

News of the inquiry comes soon after Fifa launched a separate investigation into claims made by former Football Association and England 2018 World Cup bid chairman Lord Triesman.

Triesman alleged that four Fifa members - Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi - sought "bribes" in return for backing England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.

Warner said the allegations made against him by Triesman were "a piece of nonsense".

British MPs at the culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons have also claimed that Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Issa Hayatou and executive committee member Jacques Anouma took bribes related to Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid.

Both men have denied the claims while Qatar 2022 World Cup officials described allegations they paid bribes in return for votes as "distressing, insulting and incomprehensible".

On Sunday, Blatter angrily denied that Fifa is corrupt and added there is no evidence to support recent accusations of wrongdoing.

Blatter's campaign adviser, Brian Alexander, said the Fifa president would not comment on the case.

[jpg75]

I just saw this too and was going to post it. So basically Bin Hammam travelled to T&T to see if he could bribe Warner into back stabbing Blatter and it appears he might have been successful. Chuck Blazer turns around and back stabs Warner by telling Blatter what happened and Blatter launches an investigation into bribery to screw Bin Hammam and his old "friend" Jack.

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6586453/fifa-investigates-mohamed-bin-hammam-jack-warner-bribery

FIFA said the bribery allegations related to bin Hammam's meeting with 25 Caribbean soccer leaders on May 10-11 in Warner's native Trinidad to lobby for support.

"This meeting was linked to the upcoming FIFA presidential election," FIFA said.

Blatter's campaign adviser, Brian Alexander, said the FIFA president would not comment on the case.

Bin Hammam helped organize the hastily arranged meeting after he was unable to attend the CONCACAF annual congress a week earlier in Miami.

The Qatari official was denied a visa to enter the U.S., despite traveling on a diplomatic passport. His campaign's administrative oversight left Blatter a clear run to lobby for votes in Miami.

Warner has long been a key powerbroker in FIFA politics and his 35-member confederation has not yet officially endorsed either candidate.

Edited May 25, 2011 by jpg75

[alberta white]

Power Corrupts.

Absolute Power corrupts absolutley.

However when it comes to FIFA that corruption internalises and proceeds to eat Itself,

(probably in some extensive rustic Ramseyesque dressing with a side order of expensive olives)

At times this lot make the Mafia look life a small time numbers racket.

[rdroze]

OMG, this just keeps getting better and better!

Fifa opens ethics proceedings against Sepp Blatter

Simon Burnton guardian.co.uk, Friday 27 May 2011 11.00 BST

Fifa have opened ethics proceedings against their own president, Sepp Blatter, in a move which will add to the air of turmoil surrounding the organisation as it prepares for its presidential election, scheduled for next week.

Blatter refused to comment on the move, saying: "I cannot comment on the proceedings that have been opened against me today. The facts will speak for themselves."

The move follows demands yesterday by Mohamed Bin Hammam, Blatter's only rival in the presidential elections and already the subject of a separate investigation, that the 75-year-old Swiss should be put under similar scrutiny. The organisation is bound by their rules to investigate any complaint made by an executive committee member, of which Bin Hammam is one.

Blatter will appear before the ethics committee on Sunday to answer charges that he knew about alleged cash payments. Bin Hammam will be at the same hearing to answer a charge of bribery, as will another of the most powerful men in football, the Concacaf president and Fifa vice-president Jack Warner.

The allegations against Warner and Bin Hammam centre on evidence that bundles of cash of up to $40,000 were handed over to members of the Caribbean Football Union at meetings in Trinidad earlier this month. Bin Hammam is claiming that Blatter was already aware of the allegations but had not reported them, which in itself would be a breach of Fifa's code of ethics.

Meanwhile, the FA are due to send to Fifa today the report they commissioned by the barrister James Dingemans QC into claims by ex-chairman Lord Triesman that Warner and three other Fifa ExCo members made improper requests during England's 2018 World Cup bid.

It is understood that only the claims against Warner have been corroborated by witnesses. The claim that Warner asked for financial help to build an education centre has been backed up by Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards, while Dingemans' file also includes an email from Warner to Triesman asking the FA to pay for Haiti's World Cup TV rights.

Fifa's statement on Blatter's charge reads as follows: "On 26 May 2011, Fifa Executive Committee member Mohamed bin Hammam has requested the Fifa Ethics Committee to open ethics proceedings against Fifa President Joseph S Blatter on the basis that, in the report submitted by Fifa Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer earlier this week, Fifa Vice-President Jack A Warner would have informed the Fifa President in advance about alleged cash payments to delegations attending a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) apparently organised jointly by Jack A Warner and Mohamed bin Hammam on 10 and 11 May 2011 and that the Fifa President would have had no issue with these.

"Subsequently, the Fifa Ethics Committee today opened a procedure against the Fifa President in compliance with art. 16 of the Fifa Code of Ethics.

"Joseph S Blatter has been invited to take position by 28 May 2011, 11am CET and to attend a hearing by the Fifa Ethics Committee at the Home of Fifa (Zurich) on 29 May 2011.

"No additional comments will be made by Fifa until further notice."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/27/fifa-ethics-proceedings-president-sepp-blatter

[The Ref]

Who is to say that Bin Hammam didn't bribe the Ethical Committe members? the man has no scruples.

[Mapleblood]

Breaking News: FIFA launches new corruption initiative

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/News-from-the-Future-FIFA-launches-8216-Corru?urn=sow-wp1918

[paul-collins]

Who is to say that Bin Hammam didn't bribe the Ethical Committe members? the man has no scruples.

lol

It's the briber's scruples we are worrying about, right?

As the great philosopher Hobbes once said, "I don't know which is worse...that everyone has his price, or that the price is always so low."

[jonovision]

The Economist had an interesting short editorial a few weeks ago, suggesting that the World Cup bidding process should proceed via eBay auction. Sure it would be crass and undignified, but so is the process now, and it least it would be out in the open:

http://www.economist.com/node/18681960?story_id=18681960&fsrc=rss

[jpg75]

The roaches are scurrying and trying to pull everyone in with them.

[Mapleblood]

Even more breaking news:

http://deadspin.com/5806298/breaking-fifa-member-not-suspected-of-corruption

[alberta white]

I've been laughing so much I nearly became an involuntary Eunuch!

(Laughing my Bo##ocks off etc...?)

Update:- Old Sepp was unable to attend the Biggest Club Game in World Football. Thats almost as Funny as When 'Stevie H' had to go home and tell Mrs Harper that she wasn't going to the Royal Wedding!

Edited May 28, 2011 by alberta white