US jury quizzes Tokyo about bribe to Warner

FIFA presidential contender Tokyo Sexwale has appeared before a US grand jury to testify about an alleged $10-million payment South Africa made to Jack Warner‚ a former vice-president of global soccer’s governing body.

Sexwale appeared before the grand jury as a potential witness on December 17‚ the BBC reported on Monday.

The BBC said Sexwale’s representative had told the broadcaster: “The FBI said he needed to appear and he went as a potential witness.”

A spokesman for Sexwale did not return a call for comment.

The Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also did not return calls for comment.

The BBC report came hours after former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and the head of European soccer‚ Michel Platini‚ were banned by Fifa for eight years for ethics violations.

Fifa was thrown into turmoil in May when US prosecutors announced the indictment of 14 people‚ including soccer officials with Fifa positions and sports marketing executives‚ on bribery or kickback-related offences.

Earlier this month‚ 16 more people were charged by the US over bribery schemes for marketing and broadcasting rights‚ including soccer bosses from across both South and Central America.

Prosecutors say South Africa paid Warner $10-million as a bribe to secure the right to host the 2010 World Cup.

South Africa has confirmed that it gave the money‚ but has said the payment was not a bribe as US prosecutors allege. —