Shady payment rears its ugly head again

Sy Lerman

Just when it appeared conveniently dead and buried, the issue of the $10 million payment made to disgraced former Fifa vice-president and Concacaf president Jack Warner that was linked to the hosting of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa has resurfaced.

This was revealed yesterday with the confirmation that Safa president Danny Jordaan and CEO Dennis Mumble have quietly slipped off to the United States to discuss the issue with officials who are seeking to apprehend Warner on criminal charges.

Safa Communications chief Dominic Chimhavi confirmed what might be termed a flight into the night, while diplomatically commenting that the trip had been arranged simply to sort out numerous matters of mutual interest with American authorities.

Other sources, however, have indicated that the purpose of the trip by the two Safa officials was indeed to clarify matters relating to the $10m payment.

Safa insist the money, which was part of the funds allocated by Fifa for the staging of the World Cup, was designed to further the development of African-linked soccer in the Concacaf area.

Instead it seemingly ended up in Warner’s pocket and allegations have been made that the hefty cash payment was a thinly-veiled bribe to ensure Safa secure the Concacaf vote allocation to stage the World Cup in 2010.

The purpose of the trip by Jordaan (right) and Mumble would appear to convince the authorities who are pursuing the case that Safa allocated the $10m after negotiations with Warner while having only honourable intentions – and securing the Concacaf vote was at no time a condition.

But this might not be an altogether simple undertaking, particularly as Fifa has also confirmed that investigations into bribes relating to the allocation of the 2010 and other World Cups since the fall from grace of Sepp Blatter as president, were still being pursued as a matter of extreme urgency and importance.