Fifa hit by 2018 World Cup vote-buying claims

Fifa has been put under pressure to delay the vote to decide the venue of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups after allegations that two senior officials had offered to sell their votes. The decision is due to be made on December 2nd, but a report in the Sunday Times, which claims that officials discussed selling their votes, has prompted turmoil at Fifa's Zurich headquarters and many now believe it should be postponed pending an investigation. The two executive committee members accused in the Sunday Times's report are Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Tahitian Reynald Temarii of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). Adamu, the former Nigerian sports minister, was secretly filmed telling reporters posing as lobbyists for the US World Cup bid that he would accept $800,000 (£504,000) to build artificial pitches in Nigeria. Any money sent his way would have to be channelled via the personal bank account of one of his family. Sources within Fifa said last night that Adamu could be suspended this week pending a "full in-depth" investigation promised in a letter sent by Fifa President Sepp Blatter to all 24 executive committee members. Temarii, who is the president of the OFC and a vice-president of Fifa, also faces investigation after discussing a £1.5m payment for a sports academy at the OFC's headquarters in Auckland.Perhaps more damaging to International football are his claims that he had already been as much as $12m (£7.6m) by two competing bids. Two other senior Fifa officials are also said to have told reporters that Fifa executive committee members could be swayed by bribes of up to £1m for "personal projects". The officials, Amadou Diakite from Mali, who sits on the referee committee and Slim Aloulou of Tunisia, chairman of Fifa's disputes resolution committee, also face investigation. Although England's 2018 team is reportedly furious that it might not have been competing on a level playing field, it is "far too sensitive, politically" to speak out according to the Guardian. Foreign secretary William Hague was rather more candid, saying his government was "very disturbed" by the allegations and called on Fifa to continue proceedings in a way that is "ethically correct". Only one member of the committee has spoken out thus far, Chuck Blazer who is based in New York. He said he remained optimistic of that any disruption would  be dealt with efficiently and would allow for the early December vote."It should not take the ethics committee very long to ascertain all the facts," said Blazer. "The date of 2 December was chosen specifically and I see no reason why this would be delayed." ·