The International Olympic Committee is to investigate BBC claims of corruption against Fifa Vice-President Issa Hayatou, also an IOC member, it says.

It has asked the BBC to give any evidence of alleged bribery, following the screening of its Panorama programme.

Panorama alleged Mr Hayatou and two other Fifa officials voting on World Cup bids took bribes in the 1990s.

Fifa, world football’s governing body, has dismissed the claims.

Issa Hayatou

The IOC has said it will refer the matter to its ethics commission.

“The IOC has taken note of the allegations made by BBC Panorama and will ask the programme makers to pass on any evidence they may have to the appropriate authorities. The IOC has a zero tolerance against corruption and will refer the matter to the IOC Ethics Commission,” it said.

Fifa issued a statement, saying the allegations referred to events that had taken place before the year 2000 and had been investigated by the Swiss authorities.

“In its verdict of 26 June 2008, the Criminal Court of Zug had not convicted any Fifa officials. It is therefore important to stress again the fact that no Fifa officials were accused of any criminal offence in these proceedings.”

The BBC Panorama, broadcast on Monday, alleged that Fifa officials Issa Hayatou _ Confederation of African Football chief, from Cameroon  Nicolas Leoz, from Paraguay, and Ricardo Teixeira, from Brazil, took bribes from a sport marketing firm which was awarded lucrative World Cup rights.The men will vote this week on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

They have not responded to Panorama’s allegations.

England is competing with Russia, Spain/Portugal and Netherlands/Belgium to host the 2018 tournament.
The alleged bribes to the three members of Fifa’s executive committee were paid by sports marketing company International Sport and Leisure (ISL) and date from 1989 to 1999, Panorama alleged. The company collapsed in 2001.

Fifa granted ISL exclusive rights to market World Cup tournaments to some of the world’s biggest brands, and ISL received millions more from negotiating television broadcast rights.

Hayatou vows to sue BBC

FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou today threatened legal action against BBC Panorama over their claim he accepted a $10,000 bribe – insisting the money was given to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) towards their 40th anniversary celebrations.

The president of African football is now being investigated by the International Olympic Committee – of which he is also a member – following the allegations.

England 2018 had high hopes of winning Hayatou’s support in the FIFA executive committee’s World Cup vote today.

Panorama said that according to a list of secret payments made by now defunct marketing company ISL, Hayatou’s name appeared next to a cash payment of 100,000 French francs in 1995.

Hayatou, from Cameroon, today said that it was not a bribe but a payment by CAF’s former sponsors approved by the confederation’s executive committee.

He told Press Association Sport: ‘This money was not for me it was for the 40th anniversary of CAF.
‘What Panorama also did is that they are saying I have been bribed now rather than something that happened 16 years ago.

‘This was for the 40th anniversary of CAF. At that time ISL was the sponsor of CAF and they give the money to CAF and not to me, and the executive committee of CAF accepted it and approved it.’

Hayatou said he was now considering legal action against Panorama.

He added: ‘I have got an appointment with my lawyers, I will talk to them and I will take it from there.’
The IOC said their ethics commission will look into the claims against Hayatou.

The IOC said in a statement: ‘The IOC has taken note of the allegations made by BBC Panorama and will ask the programme makers to pass on any evidence they may have to the appropriate authorities.
‘The IOC has a zero tolerance against corruption and will refer the matter to the IOC ethics commission.’