Report: Former FIFA vice president paid millions by Qatari company

The FIFA World Cup 2022 will take place in Qatar. (Photo by Nadine Rupp/Getty Images)

Jack Warner, the former vice-president of FIFA, and his family were personally paid almost $2 million dollars by a company controlled by a former Qatari football official.

The Qatari company is linked to the country’s successful bid for the 2022 World Cup, according to The Telegraph.

The Qatari World Cup has been drawing attention ever since the controversial decision was made to play the event in the desert nation in the middle of summer.  FIFA officials have already said that they have seriously considered moving the event to the winter months, which would impede on the European soccer league schedules.

Eyebrows were raised when Qatar originally won the 2022 bid and according to the Telegraph, it was for good reason.

From The Telegraph:

" Although Qatar has repeatedly denied wrongdoing during the bidding process, it has long been suspected that the decision was flawed, and several members of the Fifa committee have faced corruption allegations.

It can be disclosed that a company owned by Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Fifa executive member for Qatar, appeared to pay $1.2 million (£720,000) to Mr Warner in 2011.

A note from one of Mr Warner’s companies, Jamad, to Mr Bin Hammam’s firm, Kemco, requested $1.2 million in payment for work carried out between 2005 and 2010.

The document is dated December 15, 2010, two weeks after Qatar won the right to host the tournament, and states that the money is “payable to Jack Warner”.

Qatar has also faced world wide criticism for it's treatment of migrant workers who are helping build the infrastructure for the World Cup. The Guardian reported that 185 Nepalese workers died in 2013 while building structures meant for the sporting event.