World Cup 2022: Claims of corruption in Qatar bid published in Germany

4:28 PM

World Cup 2022: Claims of corruption in Qatar bid published in Germany




Claims of alleged corruption in Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid have been published in the German media.


The Bild newspaper says it has obtained the never-released 2014 report authored by former Fifa independent ethics investigator Michael Garcia.


Bild's report includes details of a $2m (£1.6m) sum allegedly paid to the 10-year-old daughter of a Fifa official.



Garcia quit in December 2014 in protest at the handling of his report into the bidding process.



The American lawyer cited a "lack of leadership" as he left football's world governing body, whose executives unanimously agreed to publish a "legally appropriate version" of his report.



That 42-page version cleared Qatar of corruption allegations.



Bild says it will be publishing the full details of Garcia's 403-page report from Tuesday.



Fifa's inquiry looked at the conduct of all nine bidding teams who were trying to win the right to stage the 2022 World Cup or the 2018 event, which was awarded to Russia at the same ceremony in 2010.



Speaking before he resigned, Garcia said the version of his report that Fifa published contained "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations".



Responding at the time, Simon Johnson, who led England's 2018 bid team said: "Now that I have seen Mr Garcia's statement, I am absolutely convinced that the report is a politically motivated whitewash."

Who is Michael Garcia?
Fifa corruption report in detail


Fifa's final report strongly criticised the English Football Association.



It said the body had tried to "curry favour" with its former vice-president Jack Warner, who quit his role in 2011 amid bribery allegations. The FA rejected the claims, insisting it "conducted a transparent bid".



French prosecutors have also been investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and in April questioned former Fifa president Sepp Blatter "as a witness".



France's National Public Prosecutor's Office began its investigation last year.

شارك الموضوع

مواضيع ذات صلة