According to a submission to Parliament by the Sunday Times, Diallo was named by ex-FIFA general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen as being at the centre of arranging financial deals with the FIFA executive members in return for World Cup votes.

The submission says Diallo, who is based in Paris but believed to be from Equatorial Guinea, "had been employed by the Qatar bid" and also worked for Issa Hayatou, the president of the African Football Confederation, who along with Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast was alleged to have been paid 1.5million US dollars to vote for Qatar.

Bin Hammam, the Qatari president of the Asian football confederation who did much to secure the 2022 World Cup for his country and is standing against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency., today confirmed Diallo was a good friend but insisted neither he nor Qatar had done anything wrong, nor had Diallo worked for Qatar.

Bin Hammam told Press Association Sport: "He's a close friend of mine and if you know the role he plays you will laugh at these allegations. He's simply a friend of mine and he has nothing to do with Qatar or anyone."

The bribe allegations were backed up by a whistleblower who had worked for the Qatar bid as recently as December, says the submission, which also claimed a similar deal had been struck by Nigerian member Amos Adamu but he was prevented from voting because he had been banned following the Sunday Times investigation.

Bin Hammam insisted today Qatar had paid no bribes.

He added: I can assure you nothing like this has happened from our side.

"If someone wants to damage reputations like this then they have to provide the proof. You can't just accuse people just like that.

"It didn't happen. It is fine to say something, to try to damage the reputation of somebody but where is the proof?"

According to the Sunday Times' submission, which has been sent to FIFA by the Football Association, Diallo was the go-between connecting Qatar 2022 and African members.

It says: "In Cairo, Zen-Ruffinen introduced the reporters to an acquaintance called Amadou Diallo.

"Zen Ruffinen claimed that Qatar was using Diallo to arrange financial deals with the African members in exchange for World Cup votes.

"Further inquiries established that Diallo had been employed by the Qatar bid and was also the 'charge de mission' (chief assistant) to Issa Hayatou."

Bin Hammam is standing against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency on June 1, and he insisted his plans for an expanded executive committee - 43 members rather than 24 - and an independent 'transparency committee' to oversee FIFA would restore confidence in the world governing body.

"I want to increase the decision-making body to 43 members - this is where I believe we will have more transparency," said Bin Hammam.

"My other solution is for the establishment of an independent 'transparency' committee to be set up away from FIFA and use the services of judges, lawyers or anyone they want."

Qatar have not denied spending lavishly on bid ambassadors - former France international Zinedine Zidane was paid 3million US dollars, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The Middle East country also committed to investments in projects in several home countries of FIFA members, the WSJ reported in January.