South Africa denies bribe claim

In the latest twist to the massive corruption scandal engulfing world soccer's governing body, South Africa on Sunday denied a $10 million payment it made in 2008 was in any way a bribe to FIFA for the 2010 World Cup.

Two separate investigations are being carried out by American and Swiss authorities for alleged rampant and long-running corruption within FIFA, with several top officials arrested and accused by US investigators of taking tens of millions of dollars in bribes.

Several leading soccer officials have been questioned by Swiss investigators, and FIFA's president Sepp Blatter too could be quizzed "in the future if needed", according to Swiss prosecutors.

The biggest scandal to rock world soccer erupted last Wednesday when seven FIFA officials were arrested in their Zurich hotel as part of the US probe.

They and seven others were charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies that ran from 1991 to the present day.

The were also accused of taking or conspiring to solicit $150 million in bribes.

An example cited in US papers was the 2004 selection process for the 2010 World Cup, with investigators claiming South African officials paid $10 million to former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner - one of the 14 indicted - in order to secure the bid.

South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan confirmed on Sunday the organizing committee made a payment of $10 million in 2008 but insisted it was not a bribe.

"I haven't paid a bribe or taken a bribe from anybody in my life. We don't know who is mentioned there (in the indictment)," Jordaan told the Sunday Independent.

"How could we have paid a bribe for votes four years after we won the bid?" Jordaan said, adding the payment was South Africa's contribution towards Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football's soccer development fund.

'Stems from lost bid'

Warner, who was then also president of CONCACAF, has blasted the US, saying charges against him and other FIFA officials "stems from a lost (US) bid to host the 2022 World Cup."

The 72-year-old surrendered to police in Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday, but has maintained his innocence.

He was released after paying $400,000 in bail.

Meanwhile, Swiss authorities are running a parallel probe into allegations of bribery in the selection process over the controversial awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.

A Swiss justice spokesman said top soccer officials were interviewed as "people who could provide information", without giving further details.

He said Blatter "will not be questioned at this stage. If necessary, he will be in the future."