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Qatar 2022 'whistleblower' in corruption U-turn
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By David Bond
BBC sports editor
Caf president Issa Hayatou (left) and Jacques Anouma had been accused of taking bribes Newsnight Special Report
Phaedra Al Majid, a former international media officer for Qatar 2022, said she wanted to exact revenge after losing her job on the campaign.
She decided to go public after she said her "lies had gone too far".
Al Majid has now signed a legal affadavit retracting the allegations.
Continue reading the main story
Originally made anonymously to journalists, the claims became the subject of an inquiry by the parliamentary select committee for culture, media and sport.
She says she is deeply sorry for the trouble she has caused World Cup officials in Qatar and the three Fifa executive committee members she accused of accepting bribes.
"I was very upset after I left the bid and wanted to basically hurt the bid back," she said. "My intentions were to make a few headlines, I never expected that my lies would be carried on and discussed in parliament.
"It just went too far. I never expected it to come to this point. There was never anything suspicious or any wrongdoing on Qatar's part.
"I cannot tell you how sorry I am. I have hurt reputations of three members of the Fifa exco, I have hurt their reputation, and more importantly I have hurt my colleagues on the Qatar bid."
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
BBC.adverts.write("sponsor_section",false);
BBC.adverts.writeAttr('style','sponsor_section_ima ge'); } }); }Page last updated at 15:29 GMT, Sunday, 10 July 2011 16:29 UK
By David BondBBC sports editor
Caf president Issa Hayatou (left) and Jacques Anouma had been accused of taking bribes Newsnight Special Report- Coverage: BBC Two, Monday 11 July, 2230 BST
Phaedra Al Majid, a former international media officer for Qatar 2022, said she wanted to exact revenge after losing her job on the campaign.
She decided to go public after she said her "lies had gone too far".
Al Majid has now signed a legal affadavit retracting the allegations.
Continue reading the main story
My intentions were to make a few headlines, I never expected that my lies would be carried on and discussed in parliament
Phaedra Al MajidOriginally made anonymously to journalists, the claims became the subject of an inquiry by the parliamentary select committee for culture, media and sport.
She says she is deeply sorry for the trouble she has caused World Cup officials in Qatar and the three Fifa executive committee members she accused of accepting bribes.
"I was very upset after I left the bid and wanted to basically hurt the bid back," she said. "My intentions were to make a few headlines, I never expected that my lies would be carried on and discussed in parliament.
"It just went too far. I never expected it to come to this point. There was never anything suspicious or any wrongdoing on Qatar's part.
"I cannot tell you how sorry I am. I have hurt reputations of three members of the Fifa exco, I have hurt their reputation, and more importantly I have hurt my colleagues on the Qatar bid."
Bizarre: Ricardo Teixera (left) with FIFA president Sepp Blatter
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