Bin Hammam Admits Close Friendship with Accused Qatar Bid Go-Between

FIFA have admitted that Amadou Diallo, the go-between accused of brokering bribes on behalf of Qatar’s successful 2022 World Cup bid worked for the organisation and was responsible to Mohamed Bin Hammam.

The presidential candidate hoping to dethrone current incumbent Sepp Blatter has confirmed that Diallo is a close friend but remained adamant that the accused official from Equatorial Guinea had done nothing untoward.

Diallo was named in allegations published by British Parliamentarians on information received from newspaper The Sunday Times as the middle man in the scandal that allegedly saw FIFA Executive Committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma receive backhanders for voting for Qatar. 

It is understood Diallo is currently a member of Bin Hammam’s campaign team in the run-up to the FIFA Presidential election on June 1.

A FIFA spokesman told insideworldfootball that Diallo, who left the organisation in 2007, was paid during his six years there as a “travelling freelance” involved in the GOAL project that provides funds and equipment for developing football in poorer countries.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Bin Hammam happens to be head of the GOAL bureau but it is not known how closely he worked with Diallo when the latter was employed by FIFA.

The Qatari told the Press Association: “I will not deny this friendship, he is a close friend of mine, but I am sure that he has done nothing wrong.

“I will meet up with him from time to time and he will travel with me here and there, but he is not playing any part in the decisions I take.

“If you know the role he plays you will laugh at these allegations. 

“He’s simply a friend of mine and he has nothing to do with Qatar or anyone.”