Fifa investigates Nigeria's Amos Adamu in World Cup voting scandal

Published on: 17 October 2010

FIFA has opened an investigation into allegations that Nigeria’s Amos Adamu offered to sell his vote in the contest to host the 2018 World Cup.

Reporters from the Sunday Times newspaper posed as lobbyists for a consortium of private American companies who wanted to help secure the World Cup for the United States.

They approached Amos Adamu, the Nigerian president of the West African Football Union who also serves as a FIFA executive committee member.

At an initial meeting in London, Adamu told reporters that he  wanted US$800,000 ($807,673) for his private project.

A statement from FIFA read: “FIFA and the FIFA Ethics Committee have closely monitored the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and will continue to do so.

“FIFA has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and are awaiting to receive this material.

“In any case, FIFA will immediately analyse the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will FIFA be able to decide on any potential next steps.

“In the meantime, FIFA is not in a position to provide any further comments on this matter.”

The footage, filmed by undercover Sunday Times journalists, shows Adamu wanting money to be paid to him directly for endorsing a bid. The reporters had posed as lobbyists for a United States bid. The US decided on Friday to withdraw from the running for the 2018 World Cup and instead concentrate on the 2022 competition. In the video, Adamu was asked whether the money for a “private project” would have an effect on the way he voted, he replied: “Obviously, it will have an effect. Of course it will. Because certainly if you are to invest in that, that means you also want the vote.” Reynald Temarii, president of the Oceania Football Confederation, is also alleged to have asked for a payment, in his case to finance a sports academy.

A European nation will definitely host the 2018 World Cup after the United States pulled out of the race on Friday.

The US had been the last non-European bidders remaining in the race for 2018 following Australia’s withdrawal in June.

Their withdrawal leaves England’s as one of four European bids for 2018 alongside Russia and joint bids by Belgium/Netherlands and Spain/Portugal.

Adamu has always been a controversial figure in sports in his country after several allegations of corruption were made against him involving the country’s last hosting of the All Africa Games.

The most powerful man in Nigerian sport was recently removed from his post after 18 years involvement with the country’s Sports Commission.

His removal from the post was suspicious as it came soon after the government rejected the overly huge budget for the hosting of the U17 World Cup.

No official reason was given for his removal but it came in the wake of the then president’s rejection of the budget presented by the Adamu-led Sports Commission.

Source:

http://www.afrikansoccer.com/2010/10/fifa-investigates-nigerias-adamu-over-voting-selling-scandal/

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