Of course it's about what Brazil are supposedly standing to gain, as that's the entire point of a bribe you melt, so what was it exactly? Also, what's 'illegal' about someone giving you a gift that you didn't ask for? As I must have broken the law at numerous conferences around the World when it's fairly standard fair for the host to leave a 'goody bag' in your hotel room.
To be fair, mito suggested above that it could be a payment after the event, smuggled in later so as to be (hopefully) less noticeable. I don't know whether mito was just being arch and it's not a theory I subscribe to, but it would be a reason.
Bungs tend to be paid up front. It's difficult to go to the authorities and complain if a bung you were promised would be paid at a later date doesn't get paid!
That only works once though (not paying a bung you promised), and these football officials like to be in power for 50 years or so.
They actually said they paid $8750 for each watch and the ethics committee independent valuation put the figure at 25,000 Swiss Francs [£16,400] - but yes I get what you mean. I'm sure a charity auction would raise a good sum for them but £16,400, not so sure. Incidentally 3 delegates, USA, Australia and one other [can't remember] didn't accept theirs and Sepp Blatter doesn't know what happened to his
right heres the thing. FFS!!!!! This guy is fa and fifa... please do not anyone be niave enough to believe a guy who is that and walks into their hotel room and finds a package on their bed doesn't know the score. A non corrupt, person who has no fear of blatter would have said why was someone in my room and complained and handed it over to cops. a perosn who just fears blatter might well hide the thing but knows full f'n well that a watch left in their hotel room would be very valuable and what its about 90% of fifa occials said about f'n time by kick back got here.... come on you guys know it
kick backs are kick backs and they keep all sweet and are tax free slice of the pie. bungs are just one off.. this stuff happens every time they get together
no not really... thats not what i am saying. what i am saying is that people in fifa are told and expected to provide all these little dictators (thats what they are after all) wtith thier kick backs. i bet those 3 guys who didnt accept it have zero power. those going in the vast majority expected the very best treatment, every perk going AND THE LITTLE HAND OUTS left for them. you can bet they also got crap off qatar to keep the WC. come on guys all delegates in same place? easy access? expensive gifts, non monetary that you can carry out? i bet suitcases were stuffed full of goodies
you know its a non monetary payment. they broke the law carrying it back due to value. did he declare it at uk customs? nope.... theefore he's liable for import duty. i doubt tobes with respect you have ever gotten handed a watch worth enough to declare. its far easier bung a diamond necklace or a watch than it is 10k in cash someone has to carry.
It wasn't just the carrying it back without declaring it that was wrong - give him the benefit of the doubt and presume he didn't know how much it was worth - but ironically for the very same reason, him not knowing how much it was worth, should have stopped him picking it up in the first place. Did these delegates talk to each other and did the three who didn't accept them not say as much to the other delegates?
Sure, it's an excessive goody bag, but it's far from unique, and he claims he had no idea of the intrinsic value of the item. At awards ceremonies like the Oscars etc sponsors give out massively high value items in goody bags, for reasons best known.... I've no idea what the presmise was for the Brazilian FA sponsor to hand out their expensive watches gratis, but the cynic in me says that I'd never heard of them until this story broke...... Irrespective, the whole Mail story and this thread is around Dyke, when the real issue is (if there is one) is with the Brazilian FA and their sponsor
Sorry, didn't mean to misrepresent what you'd said. Vile. Think I'd have binned it without even checking to see how much it was worth. More like something from a Lucky Bag rather than a goody bag.
If you think a watch is excessive in a goody bag, have you ever seen the goody bags handed out at the Oscars to get the stars to turn up. What's worse is they are expensive freebies to the very people who could afford to buy them
