World Cup bids probed for money-laundering

The UK Government’s Serious Fraud Office is looking at potential money-laundering offences involving the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the organisation’s director has told MPs.

David Green said the SFO had no jurisdiction to go after FIFA under bribery laws but that there may have been potential money-laundering offences.

One of these involved a £270,000 payment (AUS $500,000) payment by the Australia 2022 bid committee to Jack Warner which may have gone through London.

Green, giving evidence to the culture, media and sport select committee, said: “We are still examining issues around possible money laundering and I won’t be able to go into detail as new information has come to us quite recently.”

Asked about the Australia payment, Green said: “I cannot confirm the assertion that money went through London — it certainly started off in Sydney and appears to have ended up in Trinidad.

“It could be money-laundering yes. Whether the money came through London is important.

“There are outstanding matters which touch upon money-laundering, there are a number of matters we are still looking at and digging in to.”

Russia and Qatar won the rights to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively at a meeting of FIFA’s Executive Committee in 2010.

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