Suspicions have hovered for several years over the conditions for the award of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar. Based on documents or testimony, several media outlets claimed that FIFA officials were paid to choose Qatar during the poll. But for the first time, the justice of a country seizes this delicate file.

The indictment released Monday April 7 by Brooklyn Federal Attorney Richard Donoghue highlights that the votes designating Qatar and Russia were marred by irregularities. He charges three new individuals (as well as a company), including Jack Warner, the former president of Concacaf (the football federation of North, Central and Caribbean), who would have received $ 5 million to vote in favor of Russia. The competition was officially designated on December 2, 2010.

Also according to the Brooklyn attorney, the payment was made through a complex network of shell companies.

In addition to Jack Warner, who at the time was vice-president of Fifa, the document also quotes Rafael Salguero, former president of the Guatemalan Football Federation and former member of the executive committee of Fifa. According to the indictment, the leader was promised a million dollars in exchange for his support for the Russian candidacy in the decisive vote.

Transfer of $ 5 million

As part of the 2022 World Cup, the document also states that several leaders received envelopes to buy their votes. He quotes the former president of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) Ricardo Teixeira and the former president of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) Nicolas Leoz, who died in August 2019.

The Brooklyn Federal Attorney's Office gives little information on the origin of these payments. In the case of Jack Warner, they nevertheless mention an individual who acted as contact, according to the prosecution, who describes him as "a close adviser to the president of Fifa" of the time, namely Sepp Blatter.

The document cites an email sent by this individual to Jack Warner's assistant, confirming the transfer of $ 5 million.

45 people charged in connection with Fifagate

Investigations and judicial information have been opened in several countries on suspected corruption during the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Some 45 natural and legal persons have been indicted to date by the American justice system in the case known as the Fifagate, which exposed a vast system of corruption, which mainly undermined the federations of the American continent.

To date, 26 defendants have pleaded guilty, as have 4 individuals. Two others, who had pleaded not guilty, were sentenced after trial. Jack Warner, now 77, is still in Trinidad and Tobago.

His appeal against the United States' request for extradition remains to be heard by the Privy Council, which is located in London, but is the highest court under Trinidad.

Jack Warner is also accused of having sold his vote for the 2010 World Cup, awarded to South Africa. He was sentenced in absentia in 2019 to pay $ 79 million in damages to Concacaf.

Rafael Salguero was sentenced in December 2018 to three years' house arrest, equivalent to the one he had already served. This reduced sentence took into account his collaboration in the investigation carried out by the American justice. As for Ricardo Teixeira, he is in Brazil and therefore escapes, for the moment, from the American authorities.

With AFP

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