FBI probe Blatter in $136 million bribes scandal

Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter is being investigated by the FBI over the $136 million ISL bribes scandal, according to BBC Panorama.

Blatter

Source: AAP

Panorama said that during the 1990s, FIFA's now defunct sports marketing company ISL paid that sum in bribes to numerous officials including former FIFA president Joao Havelange and Brazil's former FIFA member Ricardo Teixeira, who was indicted by US authorities on corruption charges last week.

According to Panorama, a letter apparently written by Havelange suggests Blatter, who is currently suspended from his position as FIFA president, was aware of the payments but took no action.

The letter quoted by Panorama said: "I emphasise that Mr Blatter had full knowledge of all activities" and was "always apprised" of them.

The letter is included in an FBI request to the Swiss authorities for help with their investigation, asking for the ISL file and the request states "among other things, the prosecutor is investigating Havelange's statements implicating Blatter."

The programme, to be screened this week, also claims Qatar spent $241 million on their 2022 World Cup bid.

It quotes former England 2018 bid chairman Lord Triesman saying he was given the figure by sources close to British intelligence.

"I was told by two sources that have always been very reliable with good information, good intelligence that the sum that Qatar had spent on their bid was £117million," Triesman said.

England spent $43 million on their bid for the 2018 World Cup and the USA about $20.6 million on their 2022 bid.


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2 min read
Published 7 December 2015 9:00am
Updated 7 December 2015 9:20am
By Martyn Ziegler
Source: PA Sport


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