The International Football Federation (FIFA) was hit, Wednesday, May 27, by a double earthquake. First with the arrest in Zurich seven officials suspected of corruption, at the request of American justice, and in parallel with the search of his Zurich office in an investigation into the awarding of World Cups in 2018 and 2022.
The scandal comes at two days of the election to the presidency of the world body, where the omnipotent and challenged Joseph Blatter, 79, in office since 1998, will run for a fifth term.
Read the interview with a former executive of FIFA, “FIFA is a mafia”
- What are the allegations?
Bleaching, hidden accounts, millions of dollars of bribes: American justice has drawn up an overwhelming places of corruption, she said, ” endemic “ within the FIFA. The 47 charges brought against nine FIFA officials, including two vice presidents, and against five partners, accuse them of “racketeering, fraud and laundering” , over a period of twenty-five years during which these leaders of world football have “solicited and received over 150 million dollars in bribes and kickbacks” in exchange such as media and marketing rights for international football tournaments .
Read also: Suspected of corruption, seven executives of FIFA arrested
The document of 167 pages, the fruit of several years of investigation, tells firms screens, tax havens, hidden offshore accounts, cash envelopes, buying properties and use “consultancy services agreements and other contracts to create an appearance of legitimacy for bribes “. Tens of millions of dollars have also been found in accounts in Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands or Switzerland. The FBI also raided the headquarters of the Confederation of North America, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) in Miami.
- What are the matches and competitions targeted?
The facts of corruption especially concerning the award of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the granting of rights for the centenary of the Copa America next year in the USA. According to the American US Secretary of Justice, Loretta Lynch, corruption and bribes have spread to the election of the FIFA President in 2011, and “agreements concerning the sponsorship team Brazil national football by a major US sports equipment company, “. Numerous meetings, all on the American continent, are also in the crosshairs of American justice.
In a separate proceeding, the Swiss prosecutor said it had seized electronic documents at FIFA headquarters in Zurich, in the context of criminal proceedings against X on suspicion of unfair money laundering and management surrounding the remit of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. This procedure, open since March 10, had not been made public until Wednesday.
- What are the defendants?
Fourteen people – nine members or former members of FIFA and five leaders of sports marketing companies related to FIFA – are challenged by the American courts.
New York officials are indicted Jeffrey Webb, Vice President of FIFA and President of CONCACAF; Eduardo Li, member of the executive committees of FIFA and CONCACAF; Julio Rocha, in charge of development at FIFA; Costas Takkas, attached to the Office of the President of CONCACAF; Eugenio Figueredo, current Vice President of FIFA; Rafael Esquivel, executive committee member of the Conmebol; José Maria Marin, member of the FIFA Organising Committee for the Olympic Games; Nicolas Leoz, a former member of the executive committee of FIFA, and Jack Warner, former executive committee member already involved in many corruption cases, arrested Trinide and Tobago. The latter two were not arrested Wednesday in Switzerland
Read the portrait. Jack Warner, the dark side of FIFA
Also accused in this Alejandro Burzaco case, Aaron Davidson, Hugo Mariano Jinkis Jinkis and all partners of FIFA in charge of marketing, and José Margulies, through which would have facilitated illegal payments.
- What risk Sepp Blatter?
The US authorities have refused to answer any questions about the FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, who has run for a fifth term Friday to head the wealthy and extremely powerful institution. Many voices, including that of the executive committee of UEFA, amounted to request a six-month postponement of the FIFA Congress and the presidential poll
Read also:. L UEFA requested the postponement of the election of the FIFA President, scheduled on Friday
The Director of the FIFA Communications However hammered at a press conference that Sepp Blatter would remain president FIFA and continue to run for another term. No comment on the issue, the Swiss lamented in a statement “ a difficult time for football fans and FIFA ” and assured that “ those involved will be excluded from the game “. His only opponent, Prince Ali of Jordan has, meanwhile, mentioned in a brief statement “a sad day for football”.
- Why are the United States responsible for the investigation?
The arrests Wednesday morning by Swiss police at the request of the United States, did not fail to question. “These defendants abused the US financial system and violated US law, and we intend to hold them accountable , said the minister of American justice during his press conference. On numerous occasions, the accused and conspirators have planned some aspects of this long conspiracy in the United States. They used banks and possibilities of transfers in the United States. “
The US law makes it possible to prosecute foreign nationals outside US territory, from the time when the offenses were committed by a bank or an Internet service provider in the United States. Commonly used in terrorism cases, this procedure can also be applied in cases of corruption
Read also:. The American justice denounces the culture of “corruption” FIFA
- What are the next steps?
Six of the seven officials arrested international organization have already indicated that they refuse extradition to the United States, sought by US justice. Switzerland has indicated that it would trigger the standard procedure, ie to ask Washington “sent formal requests for extradition to Switzerland within 40 days” . The defendants face up to twenty years in prison.
The arrests are “just the beginning” the offensive launched Wednesday by the US justice system, warned the Federal Prosecutor Brooklyn Kelly Currie, without specifying whether other indictments were expected soon.
The scandals could also have economic impact. Several sponsors associated with the World Cup were already worried about these legal developments. Adidas, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s or Visa urged the organization to address these issues and to take prompt action. If Adidas said it maintained its financial support to FIFA, Visa announced that it “reassess [it] sponsorship” if changes intervene no. The Nike US equipment, which could be involved in the payment of bribes related to the sponsorship of the Brazilian Football Federation, for his part, said “cooperate with the authorities” .
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