Ex-official of England 2018 World Cup bid refute allegations against Hayatou

Tunde Adelakun, a former official of the England 2018 bid has insisted that CAF President Issa Hayatou is not corruptible.

The official, in charge of African Campaign Operations for the England 2018 bid in a statement copied to GNA Sports said he has always followed the tenets of accountability and transparency during his association with Hayatou over the years.

Adelakun’s declaration comes in the wake of allegations of corruptions against the CAF President in respect of ISL Marketing saga currently under investigation by the International Olympic Committee.

“I have had a personal and official relationship with Hayatou over the years. During these times, he has remained incorruptible.

“When the England 2018 delegation solicited for his support, he assured me that he would vote for the England bid. He never asked for anything in return and kept his word till the end. Despite the impact of the Panorama programme on BBC on the eve of the voting for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup, he assured me that England remained his choice for the 2018 World Cup.

“He was the only person who voted for England aside Geoff Thompson,” Adelakun noted.

Adelakun, who is also the Special Adviser to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in charge of International Relations expressed the conviction that Hayatou will be vindicated in the report of the IOC investigation panel.

“I strongly believe that Hayatou will be cleared when the report is published. I acknowledge that most people do not always agree with him, but his credibility and accountability remains intact,” Adelakun concluded.

England lost out to Russia for the 2018 World Cup whilst Qatar got the right for the 2022 edition.

Source: GNA