Beleaguered FIFA president Sepp Blatter risks facing criminal charges for corruption, according to a bombshell report delivered here on Friday by the organisation's secretary general Michel Zen-Ruffinen.

In the most explosive document

ever delivered to a FIFA ruling executive committee, Zen-Ruffinen outlined allegations of a trail of deception, mismanagement, illegal payments and cronyism against the 66-year-old Blatter.

And he warned that the FIFA president had one week to reply to the charges or he would hand the dossier to the Swiss authorities.

The 21-page dossier comes only four weeks before a FIFA congress in Seoul which will decide whether to reelect Blatter for another four years or give football's most powerful post to his sole challenger, Issa Hayatou, a FIFA vice-president and president of the African Football Confederation (CAF).

MICHEL ZEN-RUFFINEN

In the report stamped 'strictly confidential' but obtained by AFP, Zen-Ruffinen revealed a secret presidential group within football's governing world body that is answerable only to Blatter, in con-

travention to the FIFA statutes.

The most damning indictment against Blatter came at the end of the file where Zen-Ruffinen delivered two accusations, one which he said constituted a criminal act under the Swiss Penal Code and the second which 'may' constitute a criminal offence.

The first allegation claimed Blatter paid a European executive committee member, who was elected in 2000, two years backdated remuneration to 1998 of 100,000 US dollars.

The second charge was over a payment to former Niger referee Lucien Bouchardeau for giving evidence against CAF vicepresident Farah Addo, who in March accused Blatter supporters of bribing FIFA members to vote for him in the 1998 presidential election in Paris.

"The president handed out to him in front of two FIFA employees a cheque of 25,000 US dollars mentioning that Bouchardeau would receive additional 25,000 dollars if the information he provided would suit the purpose of the president," said Zen-Ruffinen in his report.

The secretary general also produced a damning indictment of FIFA vice-president Jack Warner of Trinidad, a staunch Blatter supporter.

"The president has constantly taken decisions which are favourable to the economical interests of Jack Warner and some of his family members, and thus are contrary to the financial interests of FIFA," said Zen-Ruffinen

Zen-Ruffinen claimed FIFA overpaid one of Warner's sons over one million US dollars for an internet project.

But more damagingly, he said Warner paid only a symbolic one dollar for the World Cup television rights in the Caribbean for 1990-94 and 1998.

The charges left executive committee members stunned, Hayatou said.

"You could hear a pin drop when he finished his report," said the CAF president.

During the meeting five of the seven FIFA vice-presidents took Blatter aside to a room once used by former FIFA president Joao Havelange and asked him to resign.

A stunned Blatter refused.

Later Blatter declined to go into details about the charges.

"It is a total misunderstanding," said Blatter, who has worked for FIFA for 27 years.

But Zen-Ruffinen warned that his report was only the start.

"More evidence will come," he said after the record breaking eight hour long executive committee meeting. "This is a strong shot into the whole body (FIFA)."

And he hinted that since he began his investigation FIFA members have been offering him more information.

A senior FIFA official said that Zen-Ruffinen would not let go.

"He has the bit between his teeth. He will go to the bitter end," said the official.

"It is time for FIFA to clean it's house. I feel very strongly about it," said Zen Ruffinen.