Qatar whistleblower invited to FIFA to show them the evidence

By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich

May 19 – The whistleblower at the centre of corruption claims over Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid has been asked by FIFA to provide evidence against two voting members alleged to have each been paid $1.5 million (£917,000) to back the Gulf state.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter revealed today that the whistleblower, understood to have worked for Qatar’s campaign, has been invited to travel to FIFA headquarters to meet the organisation’s general secretary Jerome Valcke and legal director Marco Villiger.

Last week, based on a written submission from The Sunday Times newspaper, British MPs claimed that African football chief Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast, both FIFA Executive Committee members, took bribes to vote for Qatar’s successful bid.

At the same Parliamentary hearing, former English FA and 2018 World Cup chairman Lord Triesman claimed that four other Executive Committee members asked for sweeteners to back England.

FIFA and the English Football Association have launched separate investigations into the claims involving no fewer than six of FIFA’s inner sanctum and Blatter disclosed today that FIFA’s inquiry would include hearing from the anonymous whistleblower.

“We will organise, and the newspaper have agreed, that we bring this whistleblower here to Zurich and we will have a discussion and investigate this,” he said.

Blatter is desperate, in order to save face, for the new allegations to be dealt with before the upcoming FIFA Congress on May 31 and, more importantly, the Presidential election 24 hours later.

But insists he has still not yet received any evidence concerning either Triesman’s claims or those about Qatar apart from disclosures made at the recent select committee hearing.

“We are waiting, anxiously and immediately, for evidence – or non-evidence – in order to take the adequate steps,” said Blatter.

“We have to see evidence and then we will intervene. We have received the declarations made in the House of Commons but we have not received any evidence.”

“The whole procedure cannot be done in 11 days but before then we must know whether the allegations are true or untrue – or unproven.

“If they are not true this case is over.”

Blatter warned time was running out for a quick solution.

“It’s fundamentally important that the situation is clarified by May 27,” he said.

“Then we will see which instrument will work.

“The Ethics Committee is already alerted and alarmed; they are not just lying on the beach, the members will come for the Congress.”

Blatter refused to rule out a 2022 re-vote if there enough evidence to incriminate Hayatou and Anouma, both of whom have strenuously denied the allegations.

FIFA have already suspended two other senior members, Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu, over previous World Cup bribery allegations following a Sunday Times expose.

Neither was allowed to vote for 2018 and 2022 and Blatter did not rule out a replacement ballot for the latter tournament, however unlikely.

“This is an idea being circulated around the world,” said Blatter.

“Don’t ask me yes or no, we have to go step by step.”

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