By Mike Collett
ZURICH (Reuters) - An investigation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) accused three FIFA executives of taking bribes in a program to be aired on Monday, three days before the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are decided.
The trio are current members of the FIFA executive committee (ex-co) which will decide on Thursday which countries host the World Cups of 2018 and 2022.
All have denied any wrongdoing but neither they nor FIFA were available on Monday for comment on the latest allegations based on what the BBC said was a confidential ISL document which detailed 175 secret payments between 1989 and 1999.
Similar allegations were first made against them in a book by the presenter of Monday's program, British investigative reporter Andrew Jennings.
COURT HEARING
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in a statement issued by the BBC on Monday that no FIFA officials had been accused of any criminal offence during a 2008 inquiry and court hearing into the ISL collapse by Swiss authorities.
Blatter has recently criticized British media entrapment in claiming corruption within his organization, although two members were suspended earlier this month following allegations of wrongdoing made by the Sunday Times.
A fourth member of FIFA's ex-co, Jack Warner of Trinidad who is a vice-president, had attempted to break FIFA rules over the sale of 2010 World Cup tickets "but the deal subsequently fell through," according to the Panorama program.
"Of course I'm disappointed with the timing and it's certainly not going to win any votes," Anson told reporters.
"We just have to see what happens tonight and move on. I won't be watching it, I've got other things to do."
England is bidding to stage the finals, for the second time, in 2018 against Russia, Spain and Portugal (one bid) and the Netherlands and Belgium (one bid).
(Editing by Jon Bramley and Ed Osmond, To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
