South Africa: Opposition asks police to investigate WCup bid
South Africa: Opposition asks police to investigate WCup bid
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) —
The chief organizer of South Africa's 2010 World Cup was one of two
senior soccer officials named Monday in a criminal complaint alleging
corruption in the FIFA vote to decide the tournament host.
U.S. authorities investigating corruption at FIFA say former executive committee member Chuck Blazer admitted the money was a bribe in return for Blazer, Warner and a third FIFA executive backing South Africa in the 2004 vote. The three votes were decisive in South Africa beating Morocco.
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"It thus appears that Jordaan and Oliphant were complicit with, and indeed seemingly central to, the bribery scheme described in the (U.S.) indictment and mentioned by Blazer in his guilty plea," the DA said in papers handed to police in Cape Town.
Oliphant, who is now a co-opted member of the Confederation of African Football's executive committee, declined to comment, telling The Associated Press he "cannot respond" to the allegations because he had not seen them in detail. Jordaan did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment.
The South African government has denied the 2008 payment was a bribe, describing it as money given to Warner's Caribbean region for legitimate soccer development. But the U.S. Department of Justice alleges it was payback for the three FIFA officials backing South Africa four years earlier.
There are also questions over how much FIFA's top leadership knew. The letters from Jordaan and Oliphant, written in late 2007 and early 2008 respectively, both ask Valcke, FIFA President Sepp Blatter's deputy, to arrange for FIFA to send the $10 million to Warner.
In June, FIFA said Valcke was not responsible for making the bank transfer to Warner and it was done by the world body's finance committee chairman at the time, Julio Grondona. Grondona died last year.
Valcke was suspended by FIFA last week over unrelated accusations involving black market tickets for the 2014 World Cup. FIFA President Blatter also attended a meeting with then-South Africa President Thabo Mbeki in 2007 over the $10 million. Blatter was only being updated by Mbeki over the decision to give $10 million to Warner, FIFA said, and was not involved.
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