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Suspicious Swiss Bank Deals to Be Part of FIFA Investigation Suspicious Swiss Bank Deals to Be Part of FIFA Investigation
(about 10 hours later)
An investigation by the authorities in Switzerland into the activities of FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, will include the examination of more than 50 suspicious financial relationships, the country’s chief federal prosecutor said on Wednesday.An investigation by the authorities in Switzerland into the activities of FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, will include the examination of more than 50 suspicious financial relationships, the country’s chief federal prosecutor said on Wednesday.
Michael Lauber, the official leading the investigation, said at a news conference that his office had received 53 reports involving FIFA from banks concerned about transactions and that his team had “obtained evidence concerning 104 banking relations.” Michael Lauber, the official leading the investigation, said at a news conference that his office had received 53 reports involving FIFA from banks concerned about transactions, adding that his team had “obtained evidence concerning 104 banking relations.”
He added: “And be aware that every banking relation represents several bank accounts.” He added, “And be aware that every banking relation represents several bank accounts.”
Mr. Lauber also said it was possible his office would seek to interview top FIFA officials such as Sepp Blatter, the longtime president who has already announced he will resign, and Jérôme Valcke, who is Mr. Blatter’s top deputy and who has been linked to a $10 million payment that American law enforcement officials suspect of being a bribe. Mr. Lauber also said it was possible that his office would seek to interview top FIFA officials such as Sepp Blatter, the longtime president who has announced he will resign, and Jérôme Valcke, Mr. Blatter’s top deputy, who has been linked to a $10 million payment that American law enforcement officials suspect of being a bribe.
Speaking in Bern, Switzerland, after being re-elected for another four-year term, Mr. Lauber said that Swiss officials had seized digital evidence amounting to about nine terabytes of data during a sweep of FIFA’s offices in Zurich. Speaking in Bern, Switzerland, after being re-elected for another four-year term as Switzerland’s attorney general, Mr. Lauber said that Swiss officials had seized about nine terabytes of digital evidence during a sweep of FIFA’s offices in Zurich.
Some of that evidence was collected in response to a request from United States officials. The Department of Justice is conducting a separate investigation that has already led to the arrests of several top soccer officials. The Swiss inquiry is a distinct operation and was initially focused on the decisions to hold the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar, although Mr. Lauber left open the possibility that his investigation had expanded. Some of that evidence was collected in response to a request from United States officials. The Department of Justice is conducting a separate investigation that has already led to the arrests of several top soccer officials. The Swiss inquiry is a separate operation and was initially focused on the decisions to hold the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar, although Mr. Lauber left open the possibility that his investigation had expanded.
Mr. Lauber, who called the case “huge and complex,” said he was not concerned about whether his investigation would uncover improprieties that might lead to a new vote on those hosting rights.Mr. Lauber, who called the case “huge and complex,” said he was not concerned about whether his investigation would uncover improprieties that might lead to a new vote on those hosting rights.
“I don’t mind if this has some collateral” damage, Mr. Lauber said. “I don’t care about the timetable of FIFA.”“I don’t mind if this has some collateral” damage, Mr. Lauber said. “I don’t care about the timetable of FIFA.”
FIFA has portrayed itself as an “injured party” in the bidding scandal, a victim of a few rogue operatives as opposed to an organization rife with corruption. FIFA has portrayed itself as an “injured party” in the hosting rights scandal, a victim of a few rogue operatives — not an organization rife with corruption.
That terminology has been used by its officials, and a spokesman for FIFA said at a news conference after the police sweep of the governing body’s headquarters that FIFA had initiated the investigation when it sent Mr. Lauber a copy of a 430-page report written by Michael J. Garcia, FIFA’s former ethics investigator. That terminology has been used by its officials, and a spokesman for FIFA said at a news conference after the police sweep of the organization’s headquarters that FIFA had initiated the investigation when it sent Mr. Lauber a copy of a 430-page report written by Michael J. Garcia, FIFA’s former ethics investigator.
Mr. Garcia spent nearly two years looking into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting bids, but he resigned after a disagreement over the handling and publication of his report. Mr. Garcia’s full report has not been made public, but a summary of his findings made it clear that he was limited by a lack of legal authority to compel testimony or subpoena important evidence. Mr. Garcia spent nearly two years looking into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting rights, but he resigned after a disagreement over the handling and publication of his report. Mr. Garcia’s full report has not been made public, but a summary of his findings made it clear that he was limited by a lack of legal authority to compel testimony or subpoena important evidence.
On Wednesday, when asked about how his investigation would differ from Mr. Garcia’s, Mr. Lauber noted that his office did have that legal power. “I have coercive measures, and I am independent,” he said. He added that there were no limits to his office’s purview, even though the two World Cup bidding votes were what initially prompted the investigation. On Wednesday, when asked about how his investigation would differ from Mr. Garcia’s, Mr. Lauber noted that his office had that legal power. “I have coercive measures, and I am independent,” he said. He added that there were no limits to his office’s purview, even though the two World Cup bidding votes were what initially prompted the investigation.
“This is a dynamic process,” he said. “It could really go everywhere, and that is why I don’t want to tell you which direction I put my focus.”“This is a dynamic process,” he said. “It could really go everywhere, and that is why I don’t want to tell you which direction I put my focus.”