World Cup bid officials accused of corruption
The chief organizer of South Africa’s 2010 World Cup was one of two senior soccer officials named Monday in a criminal complaint alleging corruption in the FIFA vote to decide the tournament host.
South Africa’s main opposition party, The Democratic Alliance, said it has asked police to investigate the involvement of former World Cup head Danny Jordaan and former South African Football Association president Molefi Oliphant in alleged bribery of FIFA executives.
The Democratic Alliance said the two men should be investigated over a payment of $10 million US by South Africa to Jack Warner, a former FIFA executive indicted by United States authorities on charges of bribery and racketeering and now facing extradition.
U.S. authorities investigating corruption at FIFA say former executive committee member Chuck Blazer admitted the money was a bribe in return for Blazer, Warner and a third FIFA executive backing South Africa in the 2004 vote. The three votes were decisive in South Africa beating Morocco.
The involvement of Jordaan, the current head of the South African Football Association, and Oliphant should be investigated, the DA said, after they both wrote letters to FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke asking that $10 million be taken off South Africa’s World Cup budget from FIFA and sent to Warner.