FIFA president Sepp Blatter today denied that FIFA knew anything about the transfer of 75 million Swiss francs (42million US) to a secret bank account by collapsed marketing partner ISL-ISMM.
Blatter said the money had been received by ISL on behalf of FIFA for television rights by the Brazilian network O Globo, but had been diverted toa secret account rather than deposited into an official FIFA account.
FIFA was owed 75 million francs while ISL was due 25 million francs in the deal for television feeds of FIFA matches, he said.
"Seventy five million Swiss francs are missing in the (FIFA) accounts and now a judge is investigating where the money is, and if it hasdisappeared, for what it has been used," Blatter told reporters a day after the draw here for the World Cup 2002 second round Asian qualifiers.
ISL-ISMM, which held the commercial rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cup finals, was declared bankrupt on May 21st.
Blatter said O Globo had made an advance payment to ISL in September 2000 rather than this year "because it had funds available then". ISL thentransfered the money to an unofficial account inaccessible to FIFA, he said.
ISL had routinely deposited payments into a special account to which FIFA could withdraw funds, but in this case the funds did not turn up, adiscovery that officials did not make until March of this year, he said.
"The money was not there and they didn't know it until the beginning of March. This money we have discovered ... was paid in September oflast year, but it was not put by ISL in this (joint) account," he said.
"Therefore, as we have evidence it was paid as a pre-payment, we have lodged a complaint with the court to investigate this matter," Blattersaid.
"ISL did not notify FIFA it was a prepayment," he said.
Blatter is facing the fight of his political life following the dramatic collapse of ISL and the discovery of the secret bank account.
UEFA president Lennart Johansson has called for an emergency meeting of the FIFA executive committee.
Blatter became the most powerful man in football in 1998 after a bitter election campaign that ended with accusations of bribery, charges hestrenuously denied.
Next year, ahead of the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, he will stand for another four years.
For the past six months Blatter, who has been hit by a series of internal political crises, has been touring the world drumming up support for a newterm in office. He said would not stand for re-election in 2006.
Blatter added that he would travel from Thailand to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam where he plans to promote FIFA's Goal program, which directsFIFA funds to developing countries at "the grassroots of football".
AFP