By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 30 – The fallout from BBC claims of corruption against high-ranking FIFA officials intensified today when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced it would be investigating those involving FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou, who is also an IOC member.
The IOC has asked the BBC to give any evidence of alleged bribes taken by FIFA executives, highlighted during a Panorama programme shown Monday evening.
Panorama alleged Hayatou and two other senior FIFA members voting on who gets the 2018 and 2022 World Cups this week took bribes during the 1990s.
While FIFA immediately dismissed the claims, the IOC, which became far more transparent following the corruption scandal over a decade ago that engulfed the bidding process for the 2004 Salt Lake City winter games, said it would refer the matter to its ethics commission.
“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 zero tolerance against corruption and will refer the matter to the IOC Ethics Commission.”
The IOC’s action will have done little to enhance England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup as they lobby fiercely over the final 48 hours.
The IOC’s move was in stark contrast to the comments of both UEFA president Michael Platini and FIFA itself, both distancing themselves from the Panorama allegations.
FIFA stressed that the claims referred to events that had taken place over 10 years ago and had been fully investigated by the Swiss authorities.
“In its verdict of June 26, 2008, the Criminal Court of Zug had not convicted any FIFA officials.
“It is therefore important to stress again the fact that no FIFA officials were accused of any criminal offence in these proceedings,” a statement said.
“Furthermore, it is important to recall that the decision was made on matters which took place prior to the year 2000 and there has been no court conviction against FIFA.
“The investigation and the case are definitely closed.”
The BBC transmission alleged that Cameroon’s Hayatou, the Confederation of African Football chief, Nicolas Leoz, from Paraguay, and Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil all took bribes from ISL, the sports marketing firm which was awarded lucrative World Cup rights but has since gone bust.
The three ExCo members had been unlikely to vote for England anyway on Thursday but Hayatou’s vote was not as clear cut as the other two, both of whom have long favoured Spain/Portugal.
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