According to consistent media reports, the French judiciary is searching for the Qatari ex-FIFA official Mohamed bin Hammam with an arrest warrant.
The businessman is accused of corruption in connection with the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, the sports newspaper reported, among others “L’Equipe” on Tuesday (September 26, 2023) with reference to judicial sources.
The arrest warrant was issued at the end of June because bin Hammam had failed to comply with several summonses for questioning and his whereabouts were unknown.
High legal fees covered
Bin Hammam is accused of having paid legal fees of more than 300,000 euros for then FIFA official Reynald Temarii in 2010 in order to influence Qatar’s decision to award the World Cup at the end of 2010.
The double awarding of the finals to Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022) is now considered a scandal, and numerous investigations have looked into allegations of corruption.
World Cup 2006 also unclear
The 74-year-old’s name also plays a major role in the summer fairy tale affair surrounding the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany. A payment in 2002 amounting to 6.7 million euros via the then World Cup organizer Franz Beckenbauer disappeared into Bin Hammam’s accounts. For what reason is still unclear today.
The Qatari was banned for life in the summer of 2011. He hardly commented on the allegations that he accepted a bribe for the 2006 World Cup, but he rejected them.