More allegations have emerged that Australia unwittingly threw away $45
million on a World Cup bid it never had a chance of winning.

Explosive
claims of corruption in FIFA’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding
processes have been aired in a British parliamentary inquiry, alleging
votes were for sale.

And it is claimed Qatar – who trumped Australia for the 2022 hosting rights – were prepared to pay.

The
inquiry received evidence FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou from
Cameroon and Ivory Coast delegate Jacques Anouma received bribes of
$US1.5 million to vote for Qatar’s bid instead of Australia.

They
were among six FIFA executive committee (ExCo) members accused of
receiving or asking for bribes during the bidding – Paraguayan Nicolas
Leoz allegedly going as far as to demand a knighthood in exchange for
voting for England.

Australia only received one vote in last December’s ballot.

Football
Federation Australia (FFA) chairman Frank Lowy had publicly insisted on
running a clean bid without offering any financial inducement to ExCo
members to garner support.

The FFA declined to comment on the
corruption allegations on Wednesday, but Prime Minister Julia Gillard
said the Australian government – which funded the World Cup bid – was
unlikely to pursue FIFA over the bribery claims.

“We were very
disappointed,” she said. “We put in a bid which was impressive and we
pursued that bid in an ethical and impressive way.”

Qatar
officials have released a statement saying allegations they bought votes
were “baseless” and that the claims would “remain unproven because they
are false”.

Allegations of FIFA ExCO delegates taking bribes
were raised before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House
of Commons, which is looking at England’s failed World Cup bid as part
of a wider inquiry into football governance.

Lord David Triesman,
the chairman of England’s bid until his resignation in May last year,
accused four FIFA officials of “improper and unethical” behaviour ahead
of the ballot.

He said the conduct of Leoz, Jack Warner, Ricardo
Terra Teixeira and Worawi Makudi in the 2018 contest was “improper and
unethical”.

Two other FIFA ExCO members were barred from voting prior to last December’s ballot over similar corruption claims.

In
Zurich, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he would ask for evidence of
the claims heard at the inquiry and forward any allegations to the
organisation’s ethics committee.

“I cannot say they are all angels or they are all devils,” he told The Associated Press of the executive members.

“We must have the evidence and then we will act immediately against all those who would be in breach of the ethical code rules.”

Blatter is seeking re-election next month against Qatar’s Mohamed bin Hammam – the Asian Football Confederation president.