Two men who launched challenges to Sepp Blatter for the leadership of world soccer body FIFA have been targeted in an attempted blackmail scam, a report said yesterday.
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein and Michael van Praag, who has now pulled out of the race, were both allegedly approached by Kenya-based conmen who said that Blatter had gathered sensitive information about them.
Singapore’s the New Paper and Dutch daily De Volkskrant said the men demanded money to hand over the information from what they claimed was a smear campaign orchestrated by Blatter.
According to the New Paper, Jordan’s Prince Ali, who is now Blatter’s sole challenger in next week’s FIFA vote, and Van Praag both confirmed approaches.
“We have had a number of individuals coming forward with similar allegations,” a spokesman for Prince Ali was quoted as saying. “Our approach has been to try and set up meetings with these individuals so we can assess them and the information they are giving for ourselves.”
The conmen said the director of an India-based security company put together a surveillance report on Prince Ali for submission to Blatter’s daughter, Corinne.
However, when contacted by the New Paper, both the investigator and Corinne Blatter denied all knowledge and said they had been set up.
“I do not know who is behind it, but it is clearly intended to damage my father’s reputation,” Corinne Blatter was quoted as saying.
According to the report, the approaches by e-mail appeared genuine, but details such as the investigator’s telephone number and e-mail address were wrong.
“I have no idea who would want to set me up, especially on such an elaborate scam as this,” the investigator, who was not named, told the New Paper. “I have never worked for Ms Corinne Blatter in any way.”
Van Praag received an e-mail which said: “Some time in late August 2014, Sepp commissioned some espionage work on you fearing you might stand against him in future.”
The Dutch Football Association head said: “What do you think it would mean for my image if I were to respond to those e-mails? If it is true that they are working on a case against me, then so be it. I have nothing to hide.”
Van Praag and Portuguese great Luis Figo withdrew from the FIFA race on Thursday, leaving Prince Ali as the only man standing between Blatter and a fifth term as president on May 29.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was