U.S. authorities are investigating evidence indicating FIFA’s suspended president Sepp Blatter knew about 100 million Dollars (92 million euros) in bribes paid to former members of the football body, a BBC report stated Sunday.
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The BBC says it has seen a letter obtained by FBI investigators in which Havelange wrote that Blatter had “full knowledge of all activities” and was “always apprised” of them.
ISL, now defunct, were subsequently handed television and marketing rights throughout the 1990s.
He is now serving a provisional 90-day suspension and faces a hearing with FIFA’s ethics judge in mid-December over a separate case involving payment made to suspended UEFA president Michel Platini.
The FBI say: ‘Among other things the prosecutor is investigating Havelange’s statements implicating Blatter’.
Mr Platini is implicated in the same investigation and investigators have called for a lifetime ban against him, but the requested punishment against Mr Blatter is not yet known.
Reached by Bloomberg News, Blatter’s lawyer Richard Cullen declined to comment on the BBC report, beyond saying his client was cooperating with the US investigation.
Damian Collins MP tells Panorama Blatter’s behaviour was extraordinary.
Lord Triesman, the former FA chairman who led England’s bid, said he was given the figure by sources close to British intelligence.
The fresh allegations against Blatter, to be aired in full on Panorama in the United Kingdom on Monday, come days after the US Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed the Department of Justice had charged 16 football officials with corruption.
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Damian Collins MP a prominent campaigner against Fifa’s conduct, told the Panorama programme: “You have to ask yourself why did he seek to protect these people, and not just protect them but allow them to continue to play an active role in some of Fifa’s most important decisions?”
