Monday 2 June 2014 4 Sha’baan 1435 Volume 19 Number 6084 Price: QR2 Ezdan Holding to sell five villages Business | 21 1 40 DAYS TO GO www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Freed American Qatar denies soldier flown to Germany report on 2022 WASHINGTON: The sole American prisoner of war held in Afghanistan was flown to a US military hospital in Germany yesterday after being Cup bid graft freed in a swap deal for five Taliban militants who were released from the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. Qatar’s bid was the best: Committee Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl had been held for nearly five years LONDON: Qatar’s organisers directly”. and his release, following years of soccer’s 2022 World Cup have The Washington-based law of on-off negotiations, suddenly vehemently denied accusations firm representing Garcia was became possible after harder-line their successful bid was cor- not answering its telephone, and factions of the Afghan Taliban rupt, saying its lawyers were had not replied to a request for a shifted course and agreed to back looking into claims made by a comment. it, US officials said. British Sunday newspaper. New York lawyer Garcia was US Defence Secretary Qatar’s Supreme Committee due to meet Qataris in Oman Chuck Hagel said he hoped the for Delivery & Legacy — the today in a meeting scheduled exchange might lead to break- nation’s World Cup organising before the article was published, throughs in reconciliation with committee — said it had won the as he continues his questioning the militants and rejected accu- right to stage the finals with “the of those involved with FIFA and sations from some Republicans best bid”, and that it was “time for other bodies. it resulted from negotiations the Middle East to host its first The Sunday Times printed what with terrorists. FIFA World Cup”. it said were details and excerpts of “As I said and explained before, “The Qatar 2022 Bid Committee emails, letters and bank transfers Sergeant Bergdahl was a prisoner always upheld the highest stand- in its vast report which it says of war. That’s a normal process in ard of ethics and integrity in its prove Bin Hammam, president of getting your prisoners back.” successful bid to host the 2022 the Asian Football Confederation Bergdahl, 28, was handed FIFA World Cup,” it said. for nine years and a FIFA execu- over at about 6pm local time on “In regard to the latest alle- tive committee member for 15 Saturday to US forces who had gations from The Sunday Times, years, had made payments from flown in by helicopter. REUTERS we say again that Mohamed bin secret slush funds. See also page 13 Hammam played no official or FIFA vice-president Boyce, The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani with German Foreign Minister Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the unofficial role in Qatar’s 2022 Bid who was not on the executive Emiri Diwan yesterday. Committee. committee at the time of the vote “As was the case with every in December 2010, said Garcia, other member of FIFA’s Executive should widen his investigation Committee, our bid team had to following the newspaper report. Qatar reaffirms labour law change plan convince Mr Bin Hammam of the Qatar’s Supreme Committee merits of our bid. for Delivery & Legacy issued the “We are cooperating fully with denial after Jim Boyce, a vice- DOHA: Qatar yesterday reiterated a new “We have worked a lot on the findings of referring in this respect to the recently (head of FIFA’s investigation president of soccer’s world gov- law incorporating major changes in the the study conducted by the consultancy firm,” announced establishment, at the Science into corruption) Mr (Michael) erning body FIFA, said he would existing labour legislation was on the anvil said Al Atityah. and Technology Park in Qatar, of a research Garcia’s on-going investigation be in favour of re-running the and would see the light of day soon. Talking about Qatar’s contribution to and development centre affiliated to German and remain totally confident vote for the 2022 host nation, Under the new regime, the relationship Germany’s economy, he said Qatar’s invest- motor giants Porsche and Volkswagen. that any objective enquiry will if the allegations in the Sunday between the employer and his employee would ment in the country was ¤18bn ($24.6bn), The Qatari and German sides discussed conclude we won the bid to host Times could be proved. be contractual. reports Qatar News Agency. Al Attiyah said matters of common interest and the latest the 2022 FIFA World Cup fairly. In a report filling the first “We are amending the labour law to improve his talks with the German Foreign Minister developments in the Middle East, especially “We will take whatever steps 11 pages of the newspaper, the the conditions for foreign workers,” Foreign dealt with opening further prospects of coop- the peace process and the Syrian crisis. are necessary to defend the integ- Sunday Times claimed it had Minister, H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al eration to serve the interests of the two coun- On the current developments in Libya, Al rity of Qatar’s bid.” obtained millions of documents Attiyah, said here yesterday. tries and peoples. Attiyah appealed to the international com- FIFA would not comment yes- which they say show former FIFA Replying to questions at a joint news confer- He welcomed the presence of German com- munity to support stability there, calling on all terday about the report, instead executive committee member ence he addressed with his visiting German panies in infrastructure development projects the Libyan political components to enter into instructing news agencies to Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar counterpart, Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Al in Qatar. dialogue, renounce violence, condemn assas- “kindly contact the office of the made payments totalling around Attiyah said an international consultancy firm He lauded the remarkable development of sinations and put the interest of Libya and the Chairman of the investigatory $5m to football officials in return was appointed to study the situation here and Qatari-German relations not only on the eco- Libyan people to the fore. chamber of the independent for votes for Qatar. recommend how the relations between the nomic front but also in diverse aspects such THE PENINSULA Ethics Committee Michael Garcia REUTERS worker and his employer could be improved. as education, culture, science and technology, Continued on page 6 Protest for jailed Al Jazeera scribes Kuwait’s Emir visits Iran Clearance delay hits TEHRAN: Kuwait’s Emir H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad fish, vegetable supply Al Jaber Al Sabah yester- day started a landmark visit DOHA: Imported fish, fruits and promised to solve it within a few days. to Tehran focused on mend- vegetables are in short supply in the We have not been told what exactly is ing fences between Shia Iran local market due to an alleged delay causing the delay,” he added. and the Sunni-ruled monar- in getting the shipments cleared at He said his outlet was heavily depend- chies in the Gulf. The two-day the new airport, say market sources. ent on fruits and vegetables imported visit comes amid a thaw in ties Importers and traders complain from India and Lebanon. The items between Tehran and the six- that a major portion of the stocks have coming from Lebanon are preferred nation Gulf Cooperation Council been damaged by the time they arrive by many citizens and they are more (GCC) since the election of in the market due to the delay, which expensive. Iran’s moderate President they said, started since the new airport “Our customers have been complain- Hassan Rowhani in June 2013. became fully operational on May 27. ing of the shortage and we don’t have See also page 9 All perishables imported by air from a convincing explanation. We hope the India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, issue would be solved very soon,” he Lebanon and several Far Eastern and added. Blast at Nigeria European countries have been hit, caus- Another trader importing fish from ing a shortage in the market. India said his company had incurred match kills 40 Importers say that they have been huge losses over the past few days since KANO, NIGERIA: A bombing incurring heavy losses due to the delays. a major quantity of fish was damaged at a football pitch in Nigeria’s The shortage, however has not caused a out of use due to delays in clearance restive northeast killed at least hike in prices since traders are expect- at the airport. He said his company is 40 people yesterday in an area ing the issue to be resolved very soon. also importing fruits and vegetables previously attacked by Boko “Now it is taking two to three days to from India and several Far Eastern Haram Islamists, a police officer clear the shipments which was done in and European countries and most of and a nurse said. four to five hours earlier. By the time we the imports have been hit. The blast hit the town of Mubi get the consignments in our custody, a “How can we increase the prices, in Adamawa state, one of three major portion of the perishables would when we cannot satisfy the needs of in the northeast which has been be damaged. We cannot offer them for our customers,” he replied, when asked under a state of emergency for sale,” said a source from a leading shop- if the shortage had led to a price hike.