Suspicion of bribery - football officials arrested
By order of the Federal Office of Justice, several football officials were arrested in Zurich on May 27 and placed in extradition custody. They are suspected of having accepted bribes worth millions.
The detention order issued by the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) is based on arrest requests from the US authorities. The prosecutor's office responsible for the Eastern District of New York is investigating these individuals on suspicion of accepting bribes and hidden commissions from the early 1990s until today. The alleged bribers are said to be representatives of sports media and sports marketing companies. Those arrested are alleged to have been involved in payments to high-ranking football officials, i.e. delegates of Fifa and other officials of Fifa sub-organizations, amounting to more than $100 million. In return, they allegedly received media, marketing and sponsorship rights in the hosting of soccer tournaments in the U.S. and Latin America, according to the FOJ. According to the request for arrest, these criminal acts were agreed upon and prepared in the USA; in addition, payments were processed via US banks.
The Zurich cantonal police have conducted hearings on the US arrest requests on behalf of the FOJ. If the wanted person agrees to immediate extradition at the hearing, a simplified procedure will be carried out, according to the statement. In this case, the FOJ can immediately approve the extradition to the US and arrange for its execution. If, on the other hand, the wanted person resists extradition, the FOJ will ask the US to submit a formal extradition request within the 40-day period provided for in the bilateral extradition treaty. According to the FOJ, the majority of those arrested oppose extradition to the USA.
Another separate case has been opened in connection with irregularities surrounding football tournaments: The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has opened criminal proceedings against unknown persons in connection with the awarding of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on suspicion of disloyal business management and money laundering. Electronic data and documents were seized at Fifa's headquarters in Zurich. These proceedings stem from a criminal complaint filed by Fifa with the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland on November 18, 2014.
Fifa says it welcomes the authority's action to expose wrongdoing in the football business. More information from Fifa here (Video of the Fifa press conference of 27.5.).
