Russia 2018 deny Sunday Times accusations that they offered inducement to Adamu

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

October 30 – Russian officials have angrily hit back at new accusations by the Sunday Times that they had offered inducements to secure Amos Adamu’s vote before the FIFA Executive Committee member was suspended.

The Russians were pre-empting fresh details it says the Sunday Times is planning to publish from its undercover investigation which caused FIFA to open an investigation into alleged vote selling by Adamu.

Russia released an e-mail from a Sunday Times journalist which claims that during a visit to Moscow earlier this year its bid team offered Adamu cooperation on building facilities and training players.

Steven Swinford, a journalist with the Sunday Times, claimed in a letter to Russia 2018 that Adamu had told them “that he had recently visited Moscow, where the Russian bid team offered ‘co-operation’ in building facilities and offering training to players.

“The suggestion was that such offers would be made in exchange for his vote.”

Alexei Sorokin, the chief executive of Russia 2018, hit back at the claims.

“The Russia-2018 Bid Committee is indeed promoting Russia’s bid among the members of the international football family and the FIFA Executive Committee members,” he wrote to the Sunday Times in a letter seen by insideworldfootball.

“As part of this effort, representatives of the Bid Committee travel to major international football events presenting the merits of
Russia’s bid.

“An essential element of this job is welcoming FIFA Executive Committee members to Russia which is not prohibited by FIFA bidding regulations and has always been done in conformity with FIFA rules i.e. with due notification of the FIFA Secretary General.

“Mr. Amos Adamu was indeed visiting Russia on August 28-31 this year.

“During his stay in Moscow he was introduced to the key elements of Russia’s bid through a series of presentations and venue tours.

“However, we would like to categorically state that never was he approached with any offers of assistance in pitch construction or players’ training or any other partnership.

“We consider statements by Mr. Adamu as cited by The Sunday Times as speculation and unfounded.”

Adamu was provisionally suspended earlier this month by FIFA, along with Tahiti’s Renauld Temarii, after accusations in The Sunday Times that he had asked undercover reporters posing as supporters of the United States bid to host the 2022 for £500,000 ($800,000) in cash to build practice pitches in Nigeria.

In exchange, he would vote for the US.

Russia also sought information from the Sunday Times about whether they had approached any of the other bidders with similar accusations.

Their reply revealed that Adamu had not claimed to have been approached by any other bidders but that they had asked officials in Qatar and Portugal/Spain about other accusations.

“Our approach has been both impartial and balanced, based on the evidence we found,” wrote Swinford in a letter also seen by insideworldfootball.

“We made separate inquiries to Qatar and the Iberian bid teams regarding separate allegations.

“We have fully cooperated with FIFA and hope that its Ethics Committee will conduct a thorough investigation.”

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