FIFA to probe new corruption claims

October 25, 2010 -- Updated 1855 GMT (0255 HKT)

(CNN) -- FIFA will investigate the latest allegations of corruption which have further brought into question the integrity of the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Football's ruling body faces further embarrassment after its former secretary general was accused of identifying members of the current executive committee who are open to bribery.

Committee members Amos Adamu, of Nigeria, and Oceania representative Reynald Temarii of Tahiti have already been provisionally suspended ahead of another ethics hearing next month, along with four other FIFA officials.

Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, which provided evidence that led to that decision after an undercover investigation, has now released secretly-filmed video of Michel Zen-Ruffinen offering inside information on others who might be open to selling their votes ahead of the December 2 decisions on which countries will host the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Zen-Ruffinen was forced out of his FIFA post before the 2002 World Cup, having prepared a report which led to FIFA taking unsuccessful legal action against president Sepp Blatter over allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.

He told undercover Times reporters that two current executive committee members could be bribed with money, another would accept sexual favors from women and that a fourth -- "the biggest gangster you will find on earth" -- would require a payment of $500,000.

"FIFA has already requested to receive all the documents and potential evidence that the newspaper has in relation to this matter, and will in any case analyze the material available," the Switzerland-based body said in a statement on Monday.

"As announced on October 20, the FIFA ethics committee decided, at the request of FIFA, to open an investigation into alleged agreements between member associations and between their bid committees in relation to the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process. FIFA will provide all of the information collected on this matter to the ethics committee."

The Sunday Times reporters posed as lobbyists linked to the United States' initial bid to host one of the tournaments.

The U.S. has since withdrawn from the running for 2018, meaning a European nation will host the event as only England, Russia, Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Holland remain as candidates.

The Americans will bid against Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar for the right to host in 2022.