2018, 2022 World Cup bidding process in turmoil over FIFA officials’ vote-selling scam

LONDON - The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups has been thrown into turmoil after two senior FIFA officials were accused of offering to sell their votes in the contest in return for cash.

The allegations centre on Oceania Football Confederation President Reynald Temarii and FIFA executive committee member Amos Adamu.

The duo is in the 24-member committee that would vote to decide the destination of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on December 2 in Zurich.

Temarii is accused of demanding around 1.5 million pounds from undercover journalists in order to build a sports academy, while Adamu was videotaped asking for around 500,000 pounds for a “personal project”, the Telegraph reports.

The reporters were posing as lobbyists for a consortium of American companies purporting to help bring the World Cup back to the United States. No money changed hands.

Bidding countries, officials and national football associations are strictly prohibited from arranging deals in exchange for votes under FIFA rules.

Meanwhile, FIFA has launched a probe into the bribery sting.

“FIFA has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and is awaiting to receive this material,” the governing body said in a statement.

“In any case, FIFA will immediately analyze the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will FIFA be able to decide on any potential next steps,” it added.

England and Russia are competing for the 2018 World Cup along with joint bids by Belgium-Holland and Spain-Portugal.

The U.S. is bidding for 2022 with Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar. (ANI)