Thai Official Denies FIFA Grant Claims

[webfact]

Thai official denies FIFA grant claims

BANGKOK (AFP) — The head of Thailand's football association on Sunday denied allegations that he had personally benefited from development grants spent on building facilities on land that he owned.

Worawi Makudi said the facilities for FIFA's GOAL development programme at the national football centre on the outskirts of Bangkok were constructed on land that he had transferred to the Football Association of Thailand.

"The construction process followed FIFA procedures," he told a news conference. "All money from FIFA was transferred to contractors, not me."

FIFA, football's governing body, said in a statement last week that it had requested an explanation from Worawi, a member of the organisation's executive committee and one of the most influential men in Asian football.

The statement said Worawi could face a possible ethics investigation if there is any evidence to support claims against the official.

Worawi is closely linked to disgraced Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam, who was banned for life in July after being found guilty of bribery by a FIFA ethics committee.

Worawi, Thailand's representative to FIFA, in May vehemently denied allegations of corruption levelled against him by David Triesman, the former chairman of England's 2018 World Cup bid.

The Thai chief was later cleared by FIFA and in June he was appointed for a third term as president of the Football Association of Thailand.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-09-19

[rkidlad]

This guy has been under investigation for a while. He was one of the main names thought to be 'asking for favours' to gain his vote with the whole Qatar/Russia debacle.

Would it really surprise anyone that a Thai FIFA official was corrupt? Good job he won't be tried by a random 12 person jury. They'd take one look at where he's from and the organisation he works for and he'd already be half way to being found guilty.

Corruption's great, right? That's why we live here. Or maybe it's a greedy, ugly, backwards system that should never be acceptable in any shape or form.

[sharecropper]

This guy has been under investigation for a while. He was one of the main names thought to be 'asking for favours' to gain his vote with the whole Qatar/Russia debacle.

Would it really surprise anyone that a Thai FIFA official was corrupt? Good job he won't be tried by a random 12 person jury. They'd take one look at where he's from and the organisation he works for and he'd already be half way to being found guilty.

Corruption's great, right? That's why we live here. Or maybe it's a greedy, ugly, backwards system that should never be acceptable in any shape or form.

or maybe he's a Liverpool fan and is therefore unable to distinguish fact from fiction, while remaining optimistic that nobody will need to be sacked no matter how bad the shambles gets. Especially not the top man.

[RickBradford]

Worawi has already been quizzed by FIFA investigators as a witness during the bin Hammam investigation.

He accompanied the Qatari to Trinidad in May when Caribbean officials were allegedly offered $40,000 in cash to back a challenge for the FIFA presidency.

He may not have done anything wrong, but he hangs out a lot with people who do, and seems to have a knack for putting himself in situations which to outside observers look rather odd.

[RickBradford]

Worawi has already been quizzed by FIFA investigators as a witness during the bin Hammam investigation.

He accompanied the Qatari to Trinidad in May when Caribbean officials were allegedly offered $40,000 in cash to back a challenge for the FIFA presidency.

He may not have done anything wrong, but he hangs out a lot with people who do, and seems to have a knack for putting himself in situations which to outside observers look rather odd.

[janverbeem]

What,corruption?Naaah,not in Thailand.

[Misterwhisper]

Whenever a Thai official 'denies' something, it means only one thing: the accusations were spot on.

[ralphlsasser]

Whenever a Thai official 'denies' something, it means only one thing: the accusations were spot on.

Very well said.