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YUS,

ANOTHER SALT LAKE OLIMPICS SCANDAL

Addo claims he has written proof of Fifa vote-buying

The man at the centre of the latest Fifa vote buying scandal, says he was one of numerous African delegates offered money for votes during the 1998 Fifa Presidential elections.

The vice president of the African Football Confederation, Farah Addo claims he was offered $100,000 to vote for Sepp Blatter but refused.

Now Addo has told BBC Sport Online that 19 African football federations, including his own FA in Somalia, were offered bribes to vote for Blatter.

"I'm not saying that Mr Blatter bought the votes, but those who were campaigning for him, and they are all well known, bought the votes," Addo confirmed to Sport Online.

Blatter is under mounting pressure

Addo, the second most powerful man in African football and President of the Somali FA for 24 years, was not prepared to name the countries involved.

However he said that 99 percent of those involved are now no longer in charge of the Football Association's that they were representing at the time.

At the Caf general assembly earlier in 1998 it was agreed that Africa would vote en masse for Blatter's main rival Lennart Johansson.

Addo alleges that he received a telephone call from a fellow countryman offering him $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in kind in exchange for him changing Somalia's vote in favour of Mr Blatter.

Addo confirmed to Sport Online that he told the caller "I'm not going to accept that, I ask you not to ask me this kind of question. I am already committed to voting for Mr Johansson, in line with the Confederation of African Football."

Johansson has refused to be drawn into the latest controversy, saying he had heard such rumours for four years.

"If someone has proof then they should bring it into the open," he said.

The next Fifa Presidential election is due to take place at the end of May but to date only Blatter has stated his intention of standing.