Disgraced Fifa official 'organised secret energy deal

The top Fifa official at the centre of bribery allegations threatening to de-rail Qatar's 2022 World Cup has been accused of organising a major gas deal to secure key votes, it emerged today. Mohamed Bin Hammam has already been accused of buying support for the Arab nation's World Cup bid by making payments to football officials from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.Now it has emerged the 65-year-old Qatari brokered meetings between officials from his country and governments to discuss bilateral trade deals worth tens of millions of dollars.The fresh allegations threaten to blow a hole in Qatar's claim that it had no links to the former vice-president of Fifa.Qatar's 2022 bid committee said Mr Bin Hammam, the disgraced Fifa vice-president, played 'no official or unofficial role' in efforts to secure the competition and denied all wrongdoing.It said he was an 'entirely separate' individual with 'no official or unofficial role in the bid'.But The Sunday Times reported today that leaked Fifa files show how Mr Bin Hammam fixed meetings with the Qatari royal family for at least seven key members of Fifa's executive committee, including the president, Sepp Blatter.Two secret meetings were brokered between Qatari royals and an aide to Thailand's serving Fifa member to discuss a gas deal. It happened in the critical final months before the 2022 ballot.Documents show that the meetings were aimed at 'promoting the bilateral co-operations in soccer developments and activities between the Qatari FA and Thai FA'.It is also alleged he arranged for Michel Platini, the president of European football's governing body Uefa, to meet the bid committee. In the 2010 vote, Mr Platini, who has since joined calls for an investigation, voted for Qatar.And it is also claimed Mr Bin Hammam kept his seat on the executive committee by making payments totalling $1.7 million to football officials across Asia.Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup four years ago at the same time Russia was handed the 2018 tournament. It was the first time Fifa had awarded two bids at the same time.But just a month before, Russian president Vladimir Putin was invited to discuss 'bilateral relations' in sport between Qatar and Russia.Qatar's bid in particular has attracted controversy from the outset because of the extreme summer heat during the months when the cup is played and the tiny country's lack of domestic soccer tradition.Just days before the 2014 tournament kicks-off in Brazil, pressure is mounting on Fifa to take action over the allegations by stripping Qatar of the tournament and ordering a re-run of the bidding process.Today it emerged one of its key World Cup sponsors, the Japanese electronics giant Sony, has become the first to call for a probe.In a statement, Sony said: 'As a Fifa partner, we expect these allegations to be investigated appropriately.'We continue to expect Fifa to adhere to its principles of integrity ethics and fair play across all aspects of its operations.'Fifa earned almost $1.4 billion last year, including more than $600 million from broadcasting rights and over $400 million from sponsors and other marketing partners.Sony is one of six main Fifa sponsors who collectively paid around $180 million last year. Sony's sponsorship agreement expires this year, giving it particular leverage as it negotiates a new deal. Labour leader Ed Miliband also told The Sunday Times that if the allegations were proven there would be an 'overwhelming case for the bidding process to be reopened immediately'.A number of British officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and FA chairman Greg Dyke, called for a rerun of the contest if the allegations are proven true.Mr Clegg wrote on Twitter: 'These are shocking allegations about the bidding process for 2022 World Cup. If proven true, FIFA must rerun the contest fairly and openly.' Prime Minister David Cameron agreed with Mr Clegg that the claims were 'very serious', but insisted an investigation needed to be carried out before any decisions were made to strip the tiny Gulf state of the competition.The Qatar bid committee has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said it would 'take any steps necessary' to defend the process.The allegations come in the midst of an inquiry by Fifa's chief ethics investigator - the U.S. lawyer Michael Garcia - into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding races. He is expected to give his conclusions to Fifa's ethics committee later this year.Following the allegations, Qatari officials are expected to meet Mr Garcia in Oman.In a statement, Qatar's bid committee said Mr Bin Hammam had no association with it and it was co-operating with Mr Garcia's investigation.The statement read: 'The Qatar 2022 bid committee always upheld the highest standard of ethics and integrity in its successful bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup.'In regard to the latest allegations from the Sunday Times, we say again that Mohamed bin Hammam played no official or unofficial role in Qatar's 2022 bid committee. We vehemently deny all allegations of wrongdoing.'(dailymail.co.uk)Bakudaily.az