Former FIFA vice president Jack Warner asked Egypt to pay a $7-million bribe in exchange for seven votes to host the 2010 World Cup, a former Egyptian minister alleged on Sunday.

Former minister of youth and sports, Aley Eddine Helal, told AFP that Warner, who is now at the heart of a corruption scandal engulfing football's world governing body, asked for the money in 2004.

"Warner was the one who approached us from FIFA. He said he could guarantee us seven votes... He asked for one million dollars for each vote," Helal claimed.

Egypt, one of the countries dominating African football, was a candidate to host the 2010 World Cup, but it received no votes in the 2004 FIFA ballot. South Africa was chosen to host the tournament.

Helal told privately owned Egyptian channel ONTV in a Thursday phone interview that someone "from FIFA" had approached Egypt in 2004, saying: "If you pay, we can help you".

In the same interview, Helal alleged Warner met with then Egyptian Football Association president Youssef el-Dahshori in the United Arab Emirates to ask for the cash.

"Our decision was not to indulge in this issue," Helal told ONTV.
Source: AFP