2022 World Cup: National Financial Prosecutor seeks trial of four people including Temarii and Bin Hammam
The national financial prosecutor's office has requested that four people be sent to trial in the investigation into the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Qatargate: Four trials sought in the Polynesian aspect
The national financial prosecutor's office (PNF) requested at the end of August that four people be sent to trial in the investigation into the award of the 2022 football World Cup to Qatar, the judicial authority announced on Wednesday 2 September, when contacted by AFP. According to franceinfo - Justice, the request concerns the "Polynesian aspect" of the file, known as "Qatargate", and targets in particular the former Tahitian FIFA representative Reynald Temarii as well as Qatari billionaire Mohamed Bin Hammam.
The PNF filed its request for trial before the Paris correctional tribunal, information first revealed by Le Monde. The judicial investigation in this part of the case was opened in Paris in 2019. It is now up to the investigating judges to decide on a possible sending to trial.
Temarii targeted for passive corruption
Reynald Temarii, former president of the Oceanian Football Confederation (OFC) and former Tahitian vice-president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), is being sought for "passive private corruption". When he was charged in May 2023, he claimed there had "never been corruption" and said he was "extremely serene". In October 2022, he had also stated to AFP that he himself had been a "victim of fraud" in this case.
French justice suspects that Mohamed Bin Hammam financed Temarii's legal defence costs, at a time when Temarii was suspended for breach of FIFA's code of ethics. By appealing this suspension, Temarii would have prevented a replacement from being present during the attribution ballot, a voter who would in principle have cast his vote for Australia and, in case of failure, for the United States — Qatar's main rivals in this vote.
Bin Hammam under international arrest warrant
Mohamed Bin Hammam, known as "MBH", former vice-president of FIFA and former head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), is being sought for "active private corruption". The Qatari businessman has been subject to an international arrest warrant since June 2023. He was also banned for life from football bodies following accusations of corruption and conflicts of interest.
Two others implicated for fraud
Consultant Jean-Charles Brisard and his ex-wife Géraldine Lesieur, former lawyer for Temarii, are also covered by the request for trial. The PNF is seeking that they appear for "fraud and receipt of corruption".
The final decision rests with the investigating judges, who must rule on a possible sending before the Paris correctional tribunal.
Source: franceinfo - Justice