Oceania refutes charge

 THE Oceania Football Confederation general secretary Tai Nicholas believes recent allegations suggesting former OFC president Charlie Dempsey was paid US$250,000 (K702,000) to abstain from the voting process to select the host for the 2006 FIFA World Cup are unfounded.

“I challenge the author of the allegations to provide any evidence to the contrary. 

“I know that Dempsey followed the mandate set out for him by the OFC executive committee,” Nicholas said.

“He was a wealthy businessman in his own right and it seems absurd that he would take a bribe.”