Fifa steps up World Cup bid probe

Fifa has launched a probe over World Cup votes accusations
12 April 2012

Fifa has announced that it is investigating at least two countries bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups for alleged collusion as the voting scandal continued to cause shock waves in world football.

Disciplinary proceedings have also been opened against the two Fifa executive members, Nigeria's Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii, who were exposed by a Sunday Times investigation as having asked for cash in return for their World Cup votes.

The pair will be dealt with by Fifa's ethics committee on Wednesday, and the same body is to separately investigate whether at least two countries campaigning to host the 2018 and/or 2022 tournaments breached bidding rules by cutting a deal on votes.

Both the two men and the countries involved could be suspended by the ethics committee.

Fifa said in a statement: "Fifa has opened proceedings against two current members of the executive committee to ascertain whether they have violated the code of ethics, and has asked the chairman of the ethics committee to act without delay to take all possible steps, including the possibility of provisional measures, should the relevant conditions be met.

"Investigations are also ongoing in relation to other officials who may have been involved in the issue in question.

"Fifa also confirms that the alleged agreements between member associations would also be a clear violation of the bid registration document and the code of ethics.

"Therefore, an investigation has also been opened into the member associations in question as well as their bid committees.

"Fifa has again asked the chairman of the ethics committee to act without delay to take all possible steps, including the possibility of provisional measures, should the relevant conditions be met."

Rumours of collusion between a 2018 bidder and a 2022 hopeful last month prompted FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke to warn all countries that mutual voting deals are against Fifa rules.

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