A member of Qatar’s World Cup bid, Phaedra Almajid, has alleged that some FIFA chiefs took bribes to vote for Qatar during the bidding process.
This is coming twenty-four hours after former FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, admitted that the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a “mistake”.
Those involved in the bribery scandal are FIFA chiefs from Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. They are identified as Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast, and Amos Adamu of Nigeria.
Almajid, who was in charge of international press for the bid, made the allegations in the new Netflix series, ‘FIFA Uncovered’ on Thursday.
He claimed the three officials were offered £1.3 million in exchange for their vote for Qatar. Qatar won hosting rights for the 2022 tournament in a Fifa vote ahead of Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the USA.
Almajid alleged that the head of the bid, Hassan Al Thawadi, offered money to Fifa chiefs. Al Thawadi is now Secretary General of the Supreme Committee in charge of the 2022 World Cup.
“We were talking about how Africa had been given its chance to host the World Cup and how the Arab world should be given their chance, and then Hassan offered Hayatou $1 million for Hayatou’s football federation [Cameroon] and in return we wanted his vote.
“I remember there just being laughter and then him saying that is not enough, and so the price was upped to $1.5 million (£1.3m) — just like that. It was just so simple: ‘We will give you this money for your football federation, you give us your vote and thank you so much.’
“One by one we did the same thing with Anouma and Adamu. $1.5 million was offered to each member that evening in exchange for their vote. It was verbal, I never saw money,” Almajid told the documentary.
Almajid alleges the offer came at a meeting of African football federations in January 2010, just under a year before the Fifa vote for the 2022 host nation. All three African officials have denied any wrongdoing, The SUN UK reports.
Almajid claims the proposed money was made to the federations, rather than the individuals themselves.
She added: “It was made very clear the money was going to football, it was never said it is going into your pocket, I do need to emphasise that. Where it ended up I have no idea.
“Before I went back to my hotel room, Hassan told me, ‘You never repeat this ever again to anyone’ and I was like, ‘OK.’”
Al Thawadi has strongly denied the claims.
He said: “My reaction, especially on the Phaedra situation, it’s frustration. They are inherently false and there are facts on the ground that prove they are false.”
Almajid anonymously revealed the alleged offers to the Sunday Times after being sacked by Qatar’s bid, and later signed a statement withdrawing her claims.
Detailing why, Almajid explained in the doc: “I’m starting to get threats, anonymous calls, emails, social media.
“I was basically told either you sign an affidavit stating that you lied or else we are legally going to come after you.”
