Frankfurt – Another dubious payment has emerged in the affair around Germany’s hosting of the 2006 World Cup, Der Spiegel news magazine said Friday.
The report said that World Cup television rights holders KirchMedia made a second deal over 1 million dollars with the late Lebanese lobbyist Elias Zaccour who was close to key members at the ruling body FIFA such as Jack Warner and Mohammed bin Hammam.
A first deal between Kirch and Zaccour, also over 1 million dollars, has been known since 2003.
The second deal reportedly doubled the payment and was made shortly before the FIFA executive committee elected the 2006 host nation in July 2000.
Zaccour was to receive the money the day after the vote, according to Der Spiegel. Germany narrowly beat South Africa 12-11 in the FIFA vote.
KirchMedia was keen to have the tournament in Germany for business reasons. The then managing director of the now defunct company, Dieter Hahn, told Der Spiegel he could not remember such a contract with Zaccour.
The report said the contract was for adviser work in connection with film rights, an area in which Zaccour allegedly had no experience.
Warner and Bin Hammam have been mentioned previously in the affair in connection with dubious payments and contracts.
The affair, broken by Der Spiegel in October 2015, cost German football federations president Wolfgang Niersbach his job. German and Swiss authorities are investigating.
-dpa
