World Cup vote-selling bans upheld

Football’s world governing body FIFA rejects appeals from Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu over World Cup bid corruption.

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FIFA’s Blatter announced Russia and Qatar as the respective hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups [GALLO/GETTY]

FIFA has rejected appeals from Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu, the suspended executive committee members who were at the heart of a corruption scandal which marred the contest to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Football’s governing body said on Friday that Nigerian Adamu, who was found guilty of bribery, remained banned from all football-related activities for three years.

A $10,444 fine was upheld.

Temarii, head of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) at the time, remains banned for one year following this week’s hearing by the appeals committee. A $5,200 fine was unaltered.

“The FIFA appeal committee has confirmed the decisions taken on Nov. 17 regarding the bans on Reynald Temarii and Amos Adamu – who were at the time FIFA vice-president and FIFA executive committee member – for a breach of the FIFA code of ethics,” said the governing body in a statement.

The pair allegedly offered to sell their votes in the hosting contest to reporters from Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper posing as lobbyists for an American consortium.

As a result of their suspensions, only 22 members of the executive committee voted when in December Russia were chosen to host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar for 2022.

Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, said at the time that he was unhappy both with the Sunday Times report and with the actions of the two committee members.

FIFA reduced the bans and fines for three other officials found guilty of unethical behaviour, Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite and Ahongalu Fusimalohi.

A fourth official, Ismael Bhamjee, did not appeal.

Source: Reuters