Sexwale, the South African who is one of five candidates standing to replace Sepp Blatter as FIFA President in February, appeared in New York City at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The payment was allegedly given to Trinidadian Warner, the former head of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, who is now banned from football for life, as a bribe to help secure South Africa the rights to host the 2010 World Cup.

The United States Department of Justice, currently investigating widespread corruption in football, including during several World Cup bid processes, believe the money was sent over three wire transfers to Warner and two other Executive Committee members for supporting South Africa in the 2004 vote.

South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula dismissed claims the money was a corrupt transaction back in June and categorically denied that it was a bribe.

Earlier that month, former FIFA Executive Committee member-turned whistleblower Chuck Blazer revealed he had admitted in a 2013 testimony to a New York City judge that he and "others on the FIFA Executive Committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup".

This was said to have begun “in or around 2004 and continuing through 2011”.

Sexwale was a member of the Organising Committee of the 2010 World Cup and was asked about the payment by the Grand Jury.

“He did appear before a Grand Jury,” a spokesperson for the businessman told BBC Sport.

“The FBI said he needed to appear and he went as a potential witness.”

Sexwale has reiterated South Africa's successful bid for the World Cup in 2010 was "clean" and claimed his appearance in front of the Grand Jury was just "information gathering".

"If they [the Grand Jury] had information, they would act," he said.

"South Africa is clean and we had a clean World Cup."

The news came as Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini were both suspended from all football-related activities for eight years with immediate effect by the FIFA Ethics Committee yesterday. 

The pair have been punished for breaches surrounding a "disloyal payment" of CHF 2 million (£1.3 million/$2.1 million/€1.8 million) made by Blatter to Platini in February 2011.

Both have since confirmed they will appeal their bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino, Jordanian FA chief Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Frenchman Jérôme Champagne are the other candidates for the FIFA Presidency.

The election is due to take place at the FIFA Extraordinary Congress in Zurich on February 26.