The chairman and CEO beIN Media Group Nasser al-Khelaifi has said that all charges of bribery in connection with the 2026 and 2030 World Cups have been dropped.
In a press release yestedray, al-Khelaifi said: “After an exhaustive three-year investigation, where I have fully and openly co-operated with the Public Prosecutor in Switzerland, I am pleased that all charges of bribery in connection with the 2026 and 2030 World Cups have been dropped.
“As I have said vehemently and repeatedly for three years, the charges have not - and have never had - any basis whatsoever, either in fact or law. It is now - finally - indisputable fact that the 2026 and 2030 agreements were negotiated at arms-lengths and without any improper influence in any form. After the most forensic public, private, lawful and unlawful scrutiny of all my dealings, I have been cleared of all suspicions of bribery and the case has been dismissed definitively and conclusively.
“While a secondary technical charge remains outstanding, I have every expectation that this will be proven completely groundless and without any substance whatsoever, in the same way as the primary case.
“While I have co-operated with all authorities during the legal process, the three-year investigation has been characterised by constant leaks, misinformation and a seemingly relentless agenda to smear my reputation in the media - completely irrespective of the facts and the notion of due process. For that reason, I have requested the relevant Swiss authorities to open a criminal inquiry into the conduct of the investigation.
“I also reserve the right to take action against certain media who for three years have repeatedly published factually-unsupported and highly damaging articles, often based on illegally-sourced and - quite remarkably in some cases - faked and fabricated materials, to satisfy their narrative of my supposed guilt.”