FIFA to probe ticket scalping

Zurich:

Soccer's governing body will look into alleged illegal ticket sales during the World Cup by one of its senior officials. According to a report on Tuesday in Britain's Daily Mail, FIFA vice president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago was involved in the sale of thousands of World Cup tickets on the black market, including to 900 England fans. A FIFA spokesman declined to comment on the media report, but said the allegations would be discussed during a meeting of FIFA's executive committee on Friday in Zurich. The Daily Mail reported that it had obtained confidential reports produced by auditors Ernst & Young for FIFA revealing that Warner made at least 500,000 pounds trading in World Cup tickets. Another senior FIFA official - executive committee member Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana - was sent home from the World Cup in Germany for ticket scalping. The 62-year-old Bhamjee sold 12 tickets for England's match against Trinidad and Tobago for 380 dollars. The tickets had a face value of 127 dollars. It's not the first time that Warner has been under scrutiny. In February, he was cited by FIFA for an ethics violation over World Cup ticket sales. The only company selling tickets in Trinidad and Tobago, Simpaul, was a travel agency owned by Warner's family. Previously, Trinidadian government officials alleged that Warner used political contacts to secure stadium construction contracts at more than double their original cost. (AP)