World football governing body FIFA has been hit by a fresh World Cup bribery scandal over the hosting rights for the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups.
Court documents allege Trinidad and Tobago’s Jack Warner received $5million to back Russia who beat England to host the 2018 World Cup.
United States Department of Justice (DOJ) papers published on Monday night state Warner was among “several committee members offered bribes in connection with their votes” for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Warner was apparently sent the cash “in or about and between November 2010 and April 2011” from ten different offshore shell companies via “more than two dozen separate wire transfers” into an account he controlled at a Trinidad and Tobago bank.
The US DOJ document added: “Several accounts used to wire money to Warner received or sent wire transfers to or from companies based in the United States that performed work on behalf of the 2018 Russia World Cup bid.”
It is also claimed Rafael Salguero, who served on FIFA’s executive committee, “was promised” a $1m bribe to vote for Russia.
England’s bid spearheaded by FA president Prince William only got two out of 22 votes.
The US DOJ alleges Brazilian Ricardo Teixeira and Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz received bribes to vote for Qatar in 2022.
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