FIFA suspend Executive Committee members in vote for cash scandal

By Andrew Warshaw

October 20 – The two high-ranking FIFA officials at the heart of the World Cup cash-for-votes scandal were sensationally suspended today following allegations of corruption within football’s world governing body.

Amos Adamu of Nigeria, who allegedly asked for £500,000 ($800,000) for a personal project in exchange for his vote, and Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii, a FIFA vice-president who claimed to want £1.5 million ($2.4 million) for a sports academy, were both provisionally suspended from the Executive Committee and all football-related activities pending a final hearing next month.

Four other senior FIFA officials exposed by last weekend’s Sunday Times newspaper were also suspended by FIFA’s Ethics Committee while, just as significantly, a separate investigation was opened into two unnamed bidding nations allegedly involved in collusion, explicitly forbidden under bidding rules.

As the race to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup became ever more explosive, a crestfallen FIFA president Sepp Blatter tried desperately to limit the damage after the organisation’s credibility was rocked to the core in arguably the most shameful episode in its history.

Following a news conference that was delayed for two hours, an impassioned Blatter (pictured) vowed to “bring back credibility” to FIFA by stressing that the organisation had acted swiftly, decisively and unusually brutally.

“Our society is full of devils and these devils you find them in football,” he said.

“We have to fight for fair play, we have to fight for respect and especially we have to fight that the people in charge of FIFA behave as they should do and if this is not the case then we have to intervene.

“As the President of FIFA I appeal to and I expect all members not only of the FIFA Executive Committee but all members of the FIFA family to behave in an honest, sincere and respectful manner because football is based on discipline, respect, fair play and solidarity.

“We have the necessary tools to intervene when necessary and that is what we have done today.”

Further Sunday Times revelations are anticipated at the weekend but as things stand now,

FIFA has ruled out postponing the December 2 vote even though there is now a strong possibility that it could be taken by 22 Executive Committee members instead of 24.

The issue of collusion between two bidders - one understood to be European targeting 2018, the other an Asian 2022 contender - will inevitably now surge to the top of the intrigue agenda.

“We had the information a few weeks ago saying it took place,” revealed FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke.

“That’s why we said we should ask the Ethics Committee to start a case.”

And the chairman of that Committee, Claudio Sulser admitted there was only one decision that could have been taken vis-a-vis the suspensions of Adamu and Temarii, President of the Oceania Confederation.

On Tuesday, Temarii had pleaded his innocence in an exclusive interview with insideworldfootball insisting he would clear his name - seemingly all to no avail.

“The Ethics Committee has a zero tolerance policy…to protect the image of FIFA and football administration in general,” Sulser said.

Although FIFA declined to identify the two bidding contenders apparently involved in collusion, it has long been rumoured - and reported - that the alleged culprits are Spain/Portugal and Qatar.

Sulser said in an interview with Bloomberg straight after the news conference in Zurich that such a conclusion was pure speculation yet refused to deny this was the case.

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