Several FIFA officials have been accused of corruption over the past three years. The most recent charges involve a slush fund of PS3 million that was used by Qatar’s top football chief. It is said to have been paid by a Qatari firm linked to one of the banned ex-FIFA officials. Another former official was caught on tape urging executives to take bribes.
Qatar is currently investing more than 200 billion dollars in preparation for the 2022 World Cup. It will spend the money to build seven state-of-the-art stadiums. However, the cost has raised many questions. There are questions about the cost of the stadiums and whether or not workers will be paid. A recent Amnesty International report says that many workers are not being paid for their work. It also notes that workers have been forced to work long hours without food or water.
Professor Tendayi Achiume, the UN special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, described Qatar’s labour conditions as “enslaved”. He also noted that migrant workers in the region are unable to leave the country. Some workers report that they have been forced to work in temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius. In addition, the Guardian reported that around 6,500 migrant workers have died while building World Cup stadiums.
FIFA’s bid committee said that it was working with Mr Garcia. FIFA President Sepp Blatter, meanwhile, has made strong statements about the bribery allegations. He has said that football is a “source of hope for mankind”.
In 2010, the Qatari bid beat out rival bids from the United States and Australia to host the World Cup. However, the bid has been under scrutiny for the past few months. This comes after the United States Department of Justice accused three members of the exco of engaging in criminal fraudulent schemes. One of the accused is the former FIFA vice president Jack Warner. Another is Abdullah Ibhais. He is currently serving a three-year prison sentence.
A Qatari firm linked to banned ex-FIFA official Mohamed Bin Hammam was also accused of bribery. Bin Hammam was banned from the sport for life in 2011 for financial corruption. He was also accused of organising backroom deals to secure votes from African and Asian FIFA officials for Qatar’s bid.
FIFA’s bribery allegations are now being investigated by the FBI. On Wednesday, an investigator visited Doha to discuss the case. According to the Guardian, Qatar has been trying to distance itself from the allegations. Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organising committee has been stressing that it is adhering to the FIFA code of ethics. In addition, Qatar has been investing a fortune in public relations to stave off criticism. But the bribery allegations against the country and its top football chief are causing major economic concerns.
Qatar has been criticized for a long time, but the bribery allegations are a serious problem. FIFA’s business model is geared to profit. In addition, the country has a quasi-caste system based on national origin. For instance, sub-Saharan African nationalities have less human rights protection than other nationalities.
