Berlin : The ex-president of the Botswana Football Association who admitted selling World Cup tickets on the black market is likely to become the first man forced to resign from FIFA's Executive Committee in its 102-year history.
Ismail Bhamjee, 62, who admitted selling 12 tickets at three times their face value for last week's match between England and Trinidad & Tobago in Nuremberg, has been ordered to leave Germany as soon as possible by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
"It is deeply embarrassing when a high ranking official is involved in something like this. It puts FIFA in a very bad light," said a FIFA spokesman.
According to FIFA sources, Blatter is so furious with the harm Bhamjee has done to the image of world soccer's governing body that he will force him to resign from the executive committee before his term of office expires in January.
Bhamjee is facing formal investigations by FIFA's Ethics Committee, Disciplinary Committee and Executive Committee.
He was suspended from all his World Cup duties on Saturday when Blatter told him to leave Germany.
Markus Siegler, FIFA's Director of Communications said, "I do not know whether or not he is still in the country, but I imagine he will leave today or tomorrow. Formal proceedings will get going as soon as possible."
"It is deeply embarrassing when a high ranking official is involved in something like this."
"It puts FIFA in a very bad light. On the other hand, FIFA proved that we take these things very seriously and acted very quickly."
"I do not believe this incident will overshadow the great success of this World Cup, but it was not a nice day yesterday and it was a very big disappointment."
Bhamjee has signed a statement admitting selling 12 tickets for last Thursday's England match for $379.90 each, three times the face value, FIFA said in a statement.
Executive committee members are paid $500 a day expenses while on official FIFA duty. In addition they are paid $100,000 a year while members of the board.
According to the Mail on Sunday newspaper in Britain, who reported the incident to FIFA, Bhamjee's problems began when he met a group of England fans in an Indian restaurant in Frankfurt last week.
After telling them he was with FIFA, one of the fans reportedly asked him if he could get them tickets for the match with Trinidad & Tobago and he replied that he could.
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The fans then allegedly contacted a Mail on Sunday reporter who purchased the tickets from Bhamjee at his hotel suite.
When told that his actions would be reported in the newspaper, Bhamjee is quoted as saying: "I was actually trying to help someone else and I got in this mess and I regret it very much. I will donate double the amount of money to charity.
"I could lose my pension because of this. I've been a fool. Spare me."
His position in African football was weakened considerably in 2004 when he made a bid for the presidency of the African Confederation and was humiliatingly beaten by 46-6 in the voting by incumbent president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon.
In Saturday's statement, FIFA president Blatter said: "I am very disappointed about the conduct of a member of the FIFA executive committee. In such a situation, FIFA acts immediately and firmly."
FIFA confirmed it had been presented with evidence of Bhamjee's actions by the Mail on Sunday.
"As an immediate reaction to this behaviour, FIFA's emergency committee under the chairmanship of President Blatter decided that Mr Bhamjee had to immediately resign from all FIFA World Cup-related duties and leave Germany at the earliest possible moment," the statement said.
Bhamjee said in the same FIFA statement: "I deeply regret this incorrect act and apologise to FIFA for violating the relevant terms and conditions governing the sale of tickets for the 2006 FIFA World Cup."
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