FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges - reports

[RUCCI]

Several top Fifa officials have been arrested on corruption charges in an early-morning police operation in Zurich, Switzerland, according to reports.

Several top Fifa officials have been arrested on corruption charges in an early-morning police operation in Zurich, according to reports.

The New York Times claims that more than a dozen plain-clothed officers descended on the plush five-star Baur au Lac hotel in the Swiss city on Wednesday morning.

The hotel is the setting for this year's annual meeting of football's world governing body.

Multiple arrests were made on allegations of widespread corruption.

It is expected that those arrested will face extradition proceedings to the United States where they could federal corruption charges may be waiting for them.

The charges stem from a joint investigation by the FBI and US tax authorities that has been ongoing since at least 2011, according to the New York Daily News website.

According to the reports prosecutors more than 10 officials may be indicted as part of the investigation.

Not all of the officials are believed to be in Zurich at present. But it is reported that Sepp Blatter, the president of Fifa, is not one of those arrested in the morning raids.

An announcement is expected to be made in New York on Wednesday morning.

In November last year, Fifa's ethics committee closed its investigation into the controversial bidding process that saw Qatar named as host of the 2022 World Cup, ruling that any breaches of the rules were only of "very limited scope"

The decision to award Qatar the tournament was hugely controversial, prompting an avalanche of allegations about the way it won the bid and concerns about the searing heat in which it would be played and the treatment of migrant workers building the infrastructure underpinning it.

But Fifa said an investigation did not find any direct link between the World Cup bid and illicit payments made by the disgraced former Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam, a Qatari who was banned for life for paying bribes during a campaign to unseat Blatter as president.

Source: The Guardian

 

[Sibonike]

Maafisa wandamizi sita akiwemo mmoja wa Makamu wa Rais wa FIFA wamekamatwa kwa tuhuma mbalimbali za rushwa ya zaidi ya US D 60 million kwa kipindi cha 25 iliyopita.

 

[Kiranga]

Nimesikia BBC World Sefvice hapa. Natamani Blatter awe implicated asiweze mugombea tena uongozi wa FIFA.

 

[Chungurumbira]

Tangia ile drama ya ndolanga na FIFA na kibri kile nikajua FIFA ni genge la mafisadi wa kutupwa! Na kale ka sheria kao ka kuwa nchi husika isiingilie mambo ya soka nikajua hii yoote ni kuficha wizi wao!

 

[R.B]

Swiss police arrest six FIFA executives including vice president over allegations of accepting bribes totalling more than £65m over a period of 25 years

• Senior officials arrested at five-star hotel in Zurich ahead of FIFA Congress
• Plain-clothed officers led suspects through side-door of hotel this morning
• Reports say they face corruption allegations including over World Cup bids
• Officials could be extradited to the U.S to face the charges, reports say
  

At least six high-ranking FIFA executives including the vice-president were arrested this morning during a dramatic dawn raid at a five-star hotel in Switzerland over allegations of bribery totalling more than £60m over the past 25 years.

More than a dozen plain-clothed Swiss police officers arrived unannounced at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich at around 6am before storming the rooms where senior officials from the world football's governing body were staying.

Members from the executive committee were then led away by police through the side exit of the hotel, with many using bedsheets to shield themselves from the public eye.

The most significant arrest was that of Jeffrey Webb, the vice president of the executive committee, who has previously been hailed by Sepp Blatter as the potential successor to the position of FIFA president.

Among the other FIFA members arrested in the dawn raid were Eugenio Figueredo, the Uruguayan football executive who was due to stand down from the world governing body after Friday's election.

He is one of the biggest rogues in the FIFA gallery, with numerous run-ins with the English Football Association, including selling Lord Triesman for libel.

Other officials held by Swiss police include Eduardio Li, President of the Costa Rica Football Association and Jack Warner, a former member of the executive committee.

Although Swiss authorities said six officials had been arrested, the New York Times reported that 14 officials had been charged on the U.S indictment.

Other suspects named include Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin and Nicolás Leoz.

The paper also reported that charges are expected to be brought against a number of sports-marketing executives who alleged acted as intermediaries to facilitate illegal payments.

Sepp Blatter, the controversial president of the organisation, is not believed to have been held.

The arrests, which came ahead of the FIFA Congress on Friday, involved members of FIFA's executive committee, which holds significant power and does most of its business largely in secret.

Swiss officials said the allegations centred around the 'acceptance of bribes and kick-backs between the early 1990s and the present day' totalling more than £65m.

The alleged bribes are linked to commercial deals, including media, marketing, and sponsorship rights, for soccer tournaments in the United States and Latin America.

Reports say the suspects could now be extradited to the U.S. following the extraordinary top-secret operation.

The New York Times reported that officers arrived at the plush hotel before going to the registration desk where they obtained keys to rooms in the hotel.

The hotel has been long favoured as a place for senior FIFA officials to stay and was the stage for intense lobbying for votes ahead of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting decisions.

Officers then headed upstairs where the arrests were made.

Eye-witnesses reported that hotel staff were using sheets to hide the suspects, while others were led out of the side door, rather than the main entrance.

According to three anonymous police officials quoted in the New York Times, the allegations include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

The arrests took place as officials gathered in Zurich to elect a new president at the FIFA Congress.

Sepp Blatter, the incumbent president, is seeking his fifth term but faces a challenge from Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein.

A statement from the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) said the arrests took place on request on the U.S authorities.

A spokesman said: 'The six soccer functionaries were arrested today in Zurich by the Zurich Cantonal Police. The FOJ's arrest warrants were issued further to a request by the US authorities.

'The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is investigating these individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kick-backs between the early 1990s and the present day.

'The bribery suspects – representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms – are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make payments to the soccer functionaries -– delegates of Fifa (Federation Internationale de Football Association) and other functionaries of Fifa sub-organisations - totalling more than $100m.

'In return, it is believed that they received media, marketing, and sponsorship rights in connection with soccer tournaments in Latin America.

'According to the US request, these crimes were agreed and prepared in the US, and payments were carried out via US banks.'

Swiss officials said the suspects' deportation could be sanctioned immediately.

The statement added: 'The Zurich Cantonal Police will question the detainees today on behalf of the FOJ regarding the US request for their arrest.

'A simplified procedure will apply for wanted persons who agree to their immediate extradition. The FOJ can immediately approve their extradition to the US and order its execution.

'However, if a wanted person opposes their extradition, the FOJ will invite the US to submit a formal extradition request within the deadline of 40 days specified in the bilateral extradition treaty.'

As many as 15 officials may be under investigation worldwide, according to sources.

Meanwhile, FIFA said it was seeking to clarify the situation.

'We have seen the media reports,' a spokesman told AFP. 'We are seeking to clarify the situation. We will not comment at this stage.'

Source: Daily mail

 

[Bobuk]

Je, viongozi wa TFF wamo?

Bila Sepp Blatter kuondoka FIFA itaendelea kuzungukwa na tuhuma za rushwa.

 

[Sibonike]

Nimesikia BBC World Sefvice hapa. Natamani Blatter awe implicated asiweze mugombea tena uongozi wa FIFA.

Inawezekana ndiyo mpango wenyewe. Iweje hao wote wahusike yeye asiwepo?

Na wanapelekwa Marekani kujibu mashitaka maana wamekamatwa kwa maombi ya Marekani.

 

[Bavaria]

Huku ndo watu wanajua accountability maana yake nini? Natamani ingetokea kwa hapa Bongo.

 

[Bavaria]

Fifa kuna hela aisee. Ndo maana Blater hatamani kutoka.

 

[Sibonike]

Uchaguzi wa FIFA Ijumaa hii 29 May, 2015 unaweza kuota mbawa au Blatter kupigwa chini. Tusubiri. Blatter ni kama fisadi wetu Bongo anayetaka urais kwa udi na uvumba.

 

[sembo]

Hii ishu ingetokea mwezi mmoja au miwili kabla ya uchaguzi, timu ya kampeni mpinzani wa Blatter, ingeitumia vizuri sana.. na Blatter angeangushwa mapema tu.

Tatizo imekuja too late, Blatter kashamwaga pesa kama njugu, na mataifa kibao yakaja na matamko mbal mbali ya kumsapoti katika jua, kivuli au mvua, ikiwamo TFF yetu.

 

[Ambiente Guru]

Ni kitimtim cha aina yake pale askari kanzu walipotinga kwenye vyumba vyao mahotelini na kuwapekuwa na kuwaweka chini ya ulinzi maafisa hao. Wanatoka nchi mbalimbali.

 

[muhomakilo jr]

Blater kaponyoka?,CAF kuna Hayatou ni fisadi la kutupwa..

 

[Black Sniper]

Nimesikia BBC World Sefvice hapa. Natamani Blatter awe implicated asiweze mugombea tena uongozi wa FIFA.

Huyo lazima aangushwe tu maana ni mlafi mno, nashangaa hajakamatwa.
Prince anachukuwa nafasi safari hii

 

[Black Sniper]

sembo Jamaa ana biashara zaidi ya kumi na pesa za kumwaga, yaani dunia hii imeoza kwa rushwa. Miaka 79 na hela zote, bado ana tamaa tu.

 

[palalisote]

Jamaa ana biashara zaidi ya kumi na pesa za kumwaga, yaani dunia hii imeoza kwa rushwa. Miaka 79 na hela zote, bado ana tamaa tu.

Blatter kiboko. Kawaambia mashindano ya 2018 na 2022 yapo pale pale. Sema hizi rushwa ni zile za matangazo ya kibishara ya makampuni makubwa na yale ya leseni za kurusha matangazo.

 

[kasenene]

FIFA Officials Arrested on Corruption Charges; Sepp Blatter Isn’t Among Them


FIFA officials were escorted out behind sheets at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich.
PASCAL MORA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES
246
By MATT APUZZO, MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT, WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM and SAM BORDEN
MAY 27, 2015
ZURICH — Swiss authorities conducted an extraordinary early-morning operation here Wednesday to arrest several top soccer officials and extradite them to the United States on federal corruption charges.

As leaders of FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, gathered for their annual meeting, more than a dozen plain-clothed Swiss law enforcement officials arrived unannounced at the Baur au Lac hotel, an elegant five-star property with views of the Alps and Lake Zurich. They went to the front desk to get room numbers and then proceeded upstairs.

The arrests were carried out peacefully. One FIFA official, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, was led by the authorities from his room to a side-door exit of the hotel. He was allowed to bring his luggage, which was adorned with FIFA logos.

The charges, backed by an F.B.I. investigation, allege widespread corruption in FIFA over the past two decades, involving bids for World Cups as well as marketing and broadcast deals.

 

[Renegade]

Blatter kiboko. Kawaambia mashindano ya 2018 na 2022 yapo pale pale. Sema hizi rushwa ni zile za matangazo ya kibishara ya makampuni makubwa na yale ya leseni za kurusha matangazo.

Na kibaya zaidi mashindano haya yanavuruga ratiba za ligi mataifa mbalimbali, lakini yeye hizo gharama haangalii, kisa rushwa, na uzee wote anang'ang'ania tu FIFA.

 

[Lancashire]

Blatter amezoea kushinda uchaguzi kwa rushwa.naomba uchaguzi usimamishwe.

 

[Black Sniper]

Blatter kiboko. Kawaambia mashindano ya 2018 na 2022 yapo pale pale. Sema hizi rushwa ni zile za matangazo ya kibishara ya makampuni makubwa na yale ya leseni za kurusha matangazo.

Kapiga za uhakika Qatar, pamoja na wafanyakazi kufa kila siku kwa joto na kufanyishwa kazi kama punda lakini bado msimamo ule ule