Football’s world governing body Fifa is attempting to block the release of a document that reveals the identity of two officials forced to repay bribes, the BBC reported on Sunday.
The officials repaid the money in a settlement following a Swiss criminal investigation last year, according to allegations which will be broadcast by the BBC’s current affairs programme Panorama on Monday.
The settlement relates to bribes paid to senior Fifa officials in the 1990s by sports marketing company International Sports and Leisure (ISL), Panorama reported.
The programme named the men concerned as former Fifa president Joao Havelange (95) and Ricardo Teixeira, the leader of Brazilian football and a member of Fifa’s executive committee.
The programme also said it had found evidence that Fifa vice-president Jack Warner sold on tickets to the World Cup in Germany 2006 through an intermediary.
But lawyers acting for Fifa are contesting a decision by the Swiss prosecutor in Zug to release details of the agreement.
Former Football Association chairperson Lord Triesman has alleged impropriety by Fifa members including Warner and Teixeira, claiming in Parliament that they asked for cash or favours.
None of the men named by the programme responded to questions from the BBC.
Fifa also declined to comment about the allegations, but in relation to the Swiss prosecutor’s settlement have previously said that the case is closed. — AFP