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Local Time: 9/9/2010 9:32:38 PM
GMT Time:
Thu, 9 Sep 2010 19:32:38
FIFA clears Australia over World Cup bid (23/7/2010)
FIFA has cleared Australia of any wrongdoing in its bid to host the 2022 World Cup, after allegations of bribery, football officials said on Friday.
"FIFA wrote to FFA overnight to say there were no grounds to open a case and the matter was closed," the FFA said in a statement.
The FFA this month said it had started defamation proceedings against the newspaper, which detailed the gifts and said officials tried to conceal multi-million dollar lobbyist payments from the government.
The government also investigated the claims but found no evidence of wrongdoing. The FFA had strongly defended its bid, saying it was "common practice" to give "symbolic gifts" to delegates.
"We stated all along that those damaging allegations were false," said CEO chief Ben Buckley on Friday. "Subsequently we have been cleared by the federal government, independent auditors and now by FIFA. |
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