FIFA WILL face renewed pressure to reopen their investigation into the former vice-president Jack Warner after a leaked report from their ethics committee alleged he had been told last week it was quite likely he was, at the least, “an accessory to corruption”.
The full report of the ethics committee also finds there was “comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming” evidence the presidential challenger, Mohamed bin Hammam, tried to bribe voters, and Warner helped facilitate this.
The full report of the ethics committee, which suspended Bin Hammam and Warner on the eve of the election while an independent investigation took place, outlines the scale of the evidence against both men.
It concludes there is “prima facie” evidence Bin Hammam and Warner arranged a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union at which delegates of the member associations were offered cash payments.
“The comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming evidence permits to conclude prima facie that the accused [Warner] has initiated and arranged a special meeting of the CFU member associations for Mr Bin Hammam,” said the 17-page report of the committee, headed by the Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb.
“Furthermore, on the occasion of this meeting it seems Mr Bin Hammam offered, at least indirectly and under the pledge of secrecy, to each of the member associations an envelope containing $40,000.”
Warner is believed to have received the full report last week and on Monday announced he was resigning as Fifa vice-president, with the world governing body saying all investigations into him had been dropped and the “presumption of innocence maintained”.
Ashley Young’s transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester United is close to being completed after the England international travelled north to undergo his medical examination yesterday.
Young has already agreed personal terms and, if everything goes according to plan, an official announcement could take place today.
United will not release the transfer value but it is thought to be around €17 million.
Young’s arrival will give Alex Ferguson more variety in attack, with the 25-year-old capable of playing as a two-footed left-winger or operating as a centre forward.
He will be United’s second summer signing following the arrival of Phil Jones earlier this month from Blackburn Rovers in a €18.5 million move, possibly rising to €23 million.
A deal has also been put in place for the Spain Under-21 international goalkeeper David de Gea to join from Atlético Madrid, taking United’s spending to about €56 million and marking them out as the major movers in the transfer market so far this summer.
Young, who began his career at Watford before signing for Villa in 2007, had also attracted strong interest from Liverpool but decided, much like Jones, he would rather move to Old Trafford.
Carlos Tevez’s hopes of finding a new club are diminishing after Internazionale ruled out a move for the Manchester City striker.
“Tevez is a great player, a great character, but absolutely no,” Inter’s sporting director, Marco Branca, told the BBC.
“His salary means it is out of the question. The market is crazy at the moment and it is hard to compete.”
Tevez, 27, has a weekly salary in excess of €277,000 and may cost about €56 million.
Sunderland are interested in Connor Wickham, although the club have played down suggestions they made a formal €11.3m bid for the 18-year-old Ipswich striker.
Having missed out on Lorient midfielder Morgan Amalfitano, Sunderland manager Streve Bruce will be anxious to secure some extra strike power after he finished last season with Asamoah Gyan as his only fit frontman.
One striker almost certainly Wearside bound is Ji Dong-won, the South Korea centre-forward whose club, Chunnam Dragons, have announced he will sign for Sunderland in a deal believed to be in excess of €1.1 million.
* GuardianService
