Olympic Council of Asia fumes over AFC accusations
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
SINGAPORE, Apr 20 (AFP): The Olympic Council of Asia has angrily denied "baseless" accusations that it was involved in "vote-buying" to influence the outcome of elections for a FIFA executive committee seat.
The Council, headed by Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah, has been asked by FIFA's ethics committee to clarify the claims surrounding an increasingly ugly battle for power within the Asian Football Confederation.
At stake is an Asian seat on the powerful FIFA executive committee, currently held by AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar.
His term ends on May 8 and Bahrain's crown prince, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, is challenging him.
In an interview with Australia's SBS television on March 30, Bin Hammam claimed that the OCA, via its national Olympic committees, was offering grants to football associations in Asia to secure their votes for Sheikh Salman.
FIFA decided to look into the allegations after a request to do so, reportedly by Australian broadcaster Les Murray, who conducted the interview with Bin Hammam and who also sits on the ethics committee.
The Council, headed by Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah, has been asked by FIFA's ethics committee to clarify the claims surrounding an increasingly ugly battle for power within the Asian Football Confederation.
At stake is an Asian seat on the powerful FIFA executive committee, currently held by AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar.
His term ends on May 8 and Bahrain's crown prince, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, is challenging him.
In an interview with Australia's SBS television on March 30, Bin Hammam claimed that the OCA, via its national Olympic committees, was offering grants to football associations in Asia to secure their votes for Sheikh Salman.
FIFA decided to look into the allegations after a request to do so, reportedly by Australian broadcaster Les Murray, who conducted the interview with Bin Hammam and who also sits on the ethics committee.