Defiant Hayatou threatens legal action
The president of African football is now being investigated by the International Olympic Committee — of which he is also a member — following the allegations.
England 2018 had high hopes of winning Hayatou’s support in the FIFA executive committee’s World Cup vote tomorrow.
Panorama said that according to a list of secret payments made by now defunct marketing company ISL, Hayatou’s name appeared next to a cash payment of 100,000 French francs in 1995. Hayatou, from Cameroon, yesterday said that it was not a bribe but a payment by CAF’s former sponsors approved by the confederation’s executive committee.
He said: “This money was not for me, it was for the 40th anniversary of CAF. What Panorama also did is that they are saying I have been bribed now rather than something that happened 16 years ago. This was for the 40th anniversary of CAF. At that time ISL was the sponsor of CAF and they give the money to CAF and not to me, and the executive committee of CAF accepted it and approved it.”
Hayatou said he was now considering legal action against Panorama.
“I have got an appointment with my lawyers, I will talk to them and I will take it from there.”
The IOC said their ethics commission will look into the claims against Hayatou.
They said in a statement: “The IOC has taken note of the allegations made by BBC Panorama and will ask the programme makers to pass on any evidence they may have to the appropriate authorities.
“The IOC has zero tolerance against corruption and will refer the matter to the IOC ethics commission.”
BBC Panorama said they will stand by their claims. A BBC spokesman said: “We stand by our allegations. Mr Hayatou now seems to be saying that there is an innocent explanation for the payment from ISL.
“However, when Panorama wrote to him repeatedly and approached him in person offering him an opportunity to put his side of the story, he offered no explanation.
“In fact, he chose not to respond at all in the lead-up to the broadcast. Panorama did not allege that Mr Hayatou is currently being bribed.”
The African confederation last night released a statement in support of Hayatou which read; “The Confederation of African Football refutes allegations of corruption against its president by the BBC.’’
David Beckham, meanwhile, has insisted that Panorama will not lose England votes.
The England midfielder said: “Me, David Dein, the Prime Minister and other members of the team sat down with (FIFA) President (Sepp) Blatter this morning and it was one of the topics that we spoke about and something that was cleared away.
“What we made clear to him, and what he already knows, is that if we get the World Cup in 2018 our media are right behind us, our media are so positive towards the sport and towards it growing in our country. It could be something so big in our country.
“I think that President Blatter is well aware of the support that we will have for FIFA and the World Cup.’’
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