‘Overwhelming’ evidence of Fifa’s Bin Hammam bribes
Things at Fifa will not change, football writer Simon Kuper tells Channel 4 News – despite a leaked Fifa report alleging “overwhelming” evidence Mohamed Bin Hammam tried to bribe officials.
The leaked report also says Jack Warner was an “accessory to corruption” during Mr Bin Hammam’s Fifa presidential campaign earlier this year.
It is the latest development in a whirl of corruption allegations which have surrounded Fifa since the World Cup bids last year, which intensified during the recent presidential election.
The leaked report, from the Fifa ethics committee, says there is “prima facie” evidence that bribes were paid to officials to support Mr Bin Hammam’s campaign for the Fifa presidency, and Mr Warner facilitated these actions.
It appears rather compelling to consider the actions of Mr Bin Hammam constitute prima facie an act of bribery. Fifa ethics committee report
The leaked document is the result of Fifa’s investigation into charges of bribery against Mr Bin Hammam and Mr Warner, two of the most powerful men in world football. The pair were suspended pending investigation on 29 May after allegations were made against them.
Before being suspended, Mr Bin Hammam had been running against Sepp Blatter to be the next Fifa president. But he withdrew over the bribery charges in May.
On Monday, Mr Warner stepped down as Fifa Vice-President, three days after the ethics document was faxed to him. When he resigned, Fifa said all pending investigations into his conduct would close and the “presumption of innocence” was maintained. Both Mr Bin Hammam and Mr Warner deny any wrongdoing.
Evidence of bribery
The 17-page ethics committee report includes statements from “credible and correspondent” witnesses saying that they were handed brown envelopes each containing $40,000 at a meeting set up by Mr Bin Hammam and Mr Warner.
Read more: Sepp Blatter's circle of power
The report suggests there is “compelling” evidence that the pair arranged a special meeting with the 25 members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in Trinidad at the beginning of May – and that, with their knowledge, cash gifts were handed over. One of the witnesses, Fred Lunn from the Bahamas, photographed the cash before returning it.
The report dismisses evidence provided by Mr Warner to the ethics committee as “mere self-serving declarations”, and goes on to conclude that evidence shows he arranged the meeting and that Mr Bin Hammam “offered, a least indirectly and under the pledge of secrecy”, the cash envelopes.
Mr Warner’s likely knowledge of the gifts and involvement in the meeting made him an “accessory to corruption”, the report said, adding that the opinion of the committee is that the only probable explanation for the money gifts is “if they are associated with the Fifa presidential elections of 1 June 2011”.
Their primary conclusion, the report says, is that Mr Bin Hammam appeared to be intending to influence voting behaviour in his favour in the Fifa elections.
It adds: “Therefore it appears rather compelling to consider the actions of Mr Bin Hammam constitute prima facie an act of bribery, or at least an attempt to commit bribery.”
Will this make any difference to Fifa?
Mr Bin Hammam said in a statement: “There is nothing I can say more than I deny the allegations and insist that I have not done anything wrong during the special Congress at Trinidad.”
There have been calls for Fifa to reopen the case against Mr Warner, but football writer Simon Kuper did not think the leaked report would make a huge difference to Fifa.
This does not look like justice. It looks like a way to get rid of your opponents. Simon Kuper
He told Channel 4 News: “Fifa has so many questions to answer. This won’t change things.”
He also raised questions over the impartiality of the ethics committee, which was set up by Fifa President Sepp Blatter.
“The point is, Bin Hammam was running against Blatter in the election. He made sure that Bin Hammam was investigated, whether fairly or not. It’s selective justice. Why is Bin Hammam the only one being investigated, when there are questions over others?
“This does not look like justice. It looks like a way to get rid of your opponents.”
Fifa declined to comment at this stage when contacted by Channel 4 News.