FIFA widens probe into World Cup bidding corruption
In the wake of FIFA's provisional suspension of two executive committee members, Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii, FIFA has begun to further widen it's probe of alleged collusion between voting members.
FIFA has asked Britain's Sunday Times, the paper which initially broke the story, to provide it with "all the documents and potential evidence that the newspaper has in relation to this matter,"
the world governing body said in a statment.
"FIFA and the ethics committee are committed to have zero tolerance for any breach of the Code of Ethics and the Bid Registration. FIFA and the ethics committee are determined to protect the integrity
of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process."
FIFA also provisionally suspended another four former executive committee members which includes Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite, Ismail Bhamjee and Ahongalu Fusimalohi.
FIFA's ethics committee also stated last week that it has begun to look into a second set of allegations which revolve around deals between member associations and their Bid Committees in the race to host
the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The voting scandal has rocked the sporting world recently and damaged football's global reputation. "Corruption is a bigger danger for sports and its image than doping," said a recent statement released
by the Swiss sports ministry.
"I am extremely distressed, it's true," said FIFA President Sepp Blatter over the weekend, and called it "a sad day for football."
Former secretary general of FIFA, Michel Zen-Ruffinen, has also allegedly been secretly filmed recently revealing that Qatar and Spain-Portugal had reached a deal for each other's bids, and was recorded
as suggesting that FIFA voting members could be bribed with money or women in order to secure votes.
The race to host the 2018 World Cup continues between England, Russia, and joint bids Belgium-Holland, and Spain-Portugal.
Those that remain in the hunt to host the 2022 World Cup are Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Qatar.
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