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Clean up World Cup bidding, says Arbib

at 9:27 AM
Mark Arbib ... believes FIFA is in need of reform.
Mark Arbib ... believes FIFA is in need of reform. Photo: Gary Schafer


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/clean-up-world-cup-bidding-says-arbib-20110530-1fd03.html#ixzz1Nqzul1Gm
SOCCER'S world governing body, FIFA, has to clean up its World Cup bidding process before nations will have the confidence to invest large sums of public money again to compete to host the event, says the federal Sports Minister, Mark Arbib.
FIFA needed reform similar to that undertaken by the International Olympic Committee following the revelation that several of its members accepted bribes from organising committee officials behind Salt Lake City's bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Senator Arbib said yesterday.
After the bribery scandal surfaced, several Olympic committee members were expelled and rules were tightened to limit the value of gifts that could be accepted from bidding cities.
The minister's comments came after the corruption scandal surrounding FIFA widened on Sunday, with the provisional suspension of its vice-president Jack Warner, of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Asian Football Confederation president, Qatar's Mohamed bin Hammam.
FIFA suspended both after an internal inquiry confirmed allegations they offered $US40,000 ($A37,300) bribes to Caribbean football officials to back Mr bin Hammam's bid - now withdrawn - to topple Sepp Blatter as FIFA president at a vote tomorrow.
A further six FIFA executive committee members are under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for their votes from certain nations bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
In December FIFA's 24-man executive committee awarded the 2018 event to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Australia's $46 million taxpayer-funded bid, which attracted only a single vote from the executive committee, heavily courted Mr Warner and Mr bin Hammam at the suggestion of European consultants Peter Hargitay and Fedor Radmann.
Despite Mr Warner's suspension, Senator Arbib said the government would not investigate the expenditure of Australian taxpayer funds on Caribbean soccer projects associated with him.
''Throughout the bidding process the government sought and received regular assurances that [Football Federation Australia] was working within the Australian Public Service guidelines of ethical conduct,'' Senator Arbib said.