Malawi not linked to World Cup bid saga
Football Association of Malawi (FAM) says Malawi has not yet been linked to allegations that it between 2008 and 2009 benefited from a K20 billion ($5 million) slush fund to help Qatar win the 2022 Fifa World Cup bid.
Some 30 Africa football association officials are alleged to have, between 2008 and 2009 benefited from the slush fund.
However, FAM president Walter Nyamilandu on Tuesday said they do not vote for World Cup bids, hence not concerned and are merely following the events.
The Sunday Times of the United Kingdom on Monday wrote that Qatar, through its now banned football official Mohamed Bin Hammam, palm-oiled African football officials from countries such as Zambia, Djibouti, Sao Tome, Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia at a Malaysia meeting.
Malawi should be familiar with then Fifa executive member Hammam as he accompanied Fifa president Sepp Blatter to unveil the Chiwembe Technical Centre of Blantyre early 2000.
Sources told The Nation on Monday and Tuesday that The Times unsuccessfully intended to visit Malawi in 2011 for its story investigations that has unearthed 30 leaked e-mails out of “hundreds of millions” of documents it says it obtained.
The Qatar 2022 Bid Committee has denied the allegations, saying “always upheld the highest standard of ethics and integrity in its successful bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.”
The report has leaked e-mails of Africa football association leaders writing the Qatari officials acknowledging receipt of money in the range of $10 000 (K4 million) to $100 000 (K400 million), allegations which the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou has since challenged as being meant to tarnish his image and that of Africa football.
“[Bin Hammam] used 10 slush funds controlled by his private company and cash handouts to make dozens of payments of up to $200 FAs associations who held sway over how the continent’s four executive (Exco) members would vote,” the Sunday Times said.
Buying support across Africa, according to the report, was central to Bin Hammam’s strategy because the members of CAF exerted collective influence over how its block of four Exco members should vote. Several of the officials he paid held seats on CAF’s ruling executive committee and another nine currently sit on standing committees of the Fifa executive.
The paper says that Bin Hammam channeled cash payments of up to $200 000 into the bank accounts of the presidents of 30 African football associations. It also alleges that several events were held in Qatar where more cash was handed out.
Bin Hammam himself was kicked out of world football in 2011 after being found guilty of trying to bribe officials in his bid to get elected as Fifa president. The 2022 World Cup was awarded to Qatar in 2010, the same day that the 2018 tournament was awarded to Russia.
Last month, Blatter admitted that it was a “mistake” to give Qatar the World Cup due to the extreme heat in the summer.
