FIFA Officials Arrested on Corruption Charges; U.S. Officials Vow to Pursue More
Eventful Morning
Swiss authorities, working in conjunction with United States officials, arrested seven top soccer officials in Zurich on federal corruption charges. Swiss law enforcement officials, dressed in plainclothes, arrived at the Baur au Lac hotel on Wednesday morning as leaders of FIFA gathered for their annual meeting.
The Baur au Lac is a 171-year-old five-star hotel in downtown Zurich. During the early hours of Wednesday morning, law enforcement officials approached the hotel's front desk, where they presented government documents and demanded he room numbers of numerous soccer officials.
Over and Over, Year after Year...
The officials were detained as part of a twin corruption inquiry that has shocked world football's governing body two days before its leader Sepp Blatter seeks a new term. "They were expected to uphold the rules that keep soccer honest. Instead they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and enrich themselves," stated U.S. attorney general, Loretta Lynch, at a news conference in New York. "They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament." Lynch described the award of the 2010 World Cup to South Africa and the 2011 FIFA presidential election as events tainted by corruption.
The charges cover a 24-year period. Federal officials will attempt to bring suspects to the United States to face allegations that they took part in bribes at meeting on U.S. soil, used the U.S. banking system in conveying the bribed and created documents to camouflage their activity. "In short these individuals, through these organizations, engaged in bribery to decide who would televise games, where the games would be held and who would run the organization overseeing organized soccer worldwide." One soccer official took in more than $10 million in bribes, Lynch said.
Separately, Swiss federal prosecutors stated that they opened criminal proceedings in connection with the award of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. These decisions have been shrouded in claims of bribery and corruption ever since the vote in December 2010.
More to Come
According to the New York Times, U.S. law enforcement officials have declared that their investigation of FIFA had only begun and pledged to rid the soccer organization of corruption. The Department of Justice names 14 people on charges including racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment also named sports-marketing executives from the United States and South America who are accused of paying more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for media deals associated with major soccer tournaments.
The soccer officials charged include: Eduardo Li, Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin and Nicolás Leoz.
Illegal Overreach
The Guardian reports, Russia has accused the United States of illegally applying its legal force far beyond its borders following the U.S. indictment against FIFA officials and their arrests in Zurich. Vladimir Putin believes that the United States is attempting to extend its jurisdication to other countries. He explains that these events have nothing to do with the United States and if something did happen, it did not take occur in the U.S.
Swiss authorities, working in conjunction with United States officials, arrested seven top soccer officials in Zurich on federal corruption charges. Swiss law enforcement officials, dressed in plainclothes, arrived at the Baur au Lac hotel on Wednesday morning as leaders of FIFA gathered for their annual meeting.
The Baur au Lac is a 171-year-old five-star hotel in downtown Zurich. During the early hours of Wednesday morning, law enforcement officials approached the hotel's front desk, where they presented government documents and demanded he room numbers of numerous soccer officials.
Over and Over, Year after Year...
The officials were detained as part of a twin corruption inquiry that has shocked world football's governing body two days before its leader Sepp Blatter seeks a new term. "They were expected to uphold the rules that keep soccer honest. Instead they corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and enrich themselves," stated U.S. attorney general, Loretta Lynch, at a news conference in New York. "They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament." Lynch described the award of the 2010 World Cup to South Africa and the 2011 FIFA presidential election as events tainted by corruption.
The charges cover a 24-year period. Federal officials will attempt to bring suspects to the United States to face allegations that they took part in bribes at meeting on U.S. soil, used the U.S. banking system in conveying the bribed and created documents to camouflage their activity. "In short these individuals, through these organizations, engaged in bribery to decide who would televise games, where the games would be held and who would run the organization overseeing organized soccer worldwide." One soccer official took in more than $10 million in bribes, Lynch said.
Separately, Swiss federal prosecutors stated that they opened criminal proceedings in connection with the award of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. These decisions have been shrouded in claims of bribery and corruption ever since the vote in December 2010.
More to Come
According to the New York Times, U.S. law enforcement officials have declared that their investigation of FIFA had only begun and pledged to rid the soccer organization of corruption. The Department of Justice names 14 people on charges including racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment also named sports-marketing executives from the United States and South America who are accused of paying more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for media deals associated with major soccer tournaments.
The soccer officials charged include: Eduardo Li, Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin and Nicolás Leoz.
Illegal Overreach
The Guardian reports, Russia has accused the United States of illegally applying its legal force far beyond its borders following the U.S. indictment against FIFA officials and their arrests in Zurich. Vladimir Putin believes that the United States is attempting to extend its jurisdication to other countries. He explains that these events have nothing to do with the United States and if something did happen, it did not take occur in the U.S.
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