FIFA Names Official Behind $10m Transfer

FIFA has admitted it processed a $10m (£6.6m) payment from South Africa to one of its former officials but denied its secretary general was involved.
The organisation said the transfer was approved in 2007 by Julio Grondona, the chairman of its finance committee at the time.He died last year aged 82 after serving as an executive member for 26 years.

FIFA issued a statement after a report in the New York Times alleged Jerome Valcke was the "high-ranking FIFA official", mentioned in an indictment filed in New York, who made the transfer.

Football's governing body said neither Mr Valcke "nor any other member of FIFA's senior management were involved in the initiation, approval and implementation" of the payment to former vice president Jack Warner.
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Valcke is not named as a defendant and has not been accused of The money changed hands as part of a World Cup legacy project "to support the African diaspora in Caribbean countries," FIFA added.

It said it was acting at the request of the South African government, who had approved the project and asked FIFA to process its $10m funding through the payment to Mr Warner.Play video "FA Talking To Other Nations"

However, a letter apparently from the South African Football Association (SAFA), dated March 2008 and addressed to Mr Valcke has since emerged.

In it, the SAFA asks for confirmation of the payment arrangements and requests the $10m is transferred to Mr Warner, to receive it on behalf of the legacy project in his role as president of the Caribbean football confederation CONCACAF.

FIFA's head of media Delia Fischer said: "USD 10m was authorised by the then chairman of the finance committee and executed in accordance with the organisation regulations.Play video "Blatter Could Be Quizzed by F

"Payments of this level require the approval of the FIFA finance committee."

Mr Warner is among 14 FIFA officials and corporate executives charged by the US Department of Justice with running a criminal enterprise that involved more than $150m (£97m) in bribes.

The US indictment alleges the $10m bribe was in return for Mr Warner and Chuck Blazer - believed to be the FIFA whistleblower who co-operated with the FBI on the case - voting for the 2010 World Cup to be played in South Africa.