A massive US investigation has led to an early morning raid by Swiss police on senior football officials staying at a Zurich hotel. The suspects face federal corruption charges and may be extradited to the United States.
Wednesday, May 27
The chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), John Delaney, told RTE Radio One that the FIFA arrests seem "like something out of a mafia movie," adding that the news is "shocking and very saddening."
FIFA says the arrests are a "difficult moment," but Blatter will not step down, and upcoming World Cups will go ahead as planned.
FBI Director James Comey said that the defendants "fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world."
"Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks, and bribes became a way of doing business at FIFA," he added.
The Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) says it has blocked accounts at several banks in Switzerland in connection with the case.
"Further to three US requests for legal assistance, the FOJ has also ordered the blocking of accounts at several banks in Switzerland through which bribes are claimed to have flowed as well as the seizure of related bank documents," the office said in a statement.
FIFA spokesman Walter De Gregorio said FIFA president Sepp Blatter "was not exactly dancing around his office," but was relaxed, Sky News reported.
The Switzerland arrests took place after more than a dozen plain-clothed Swiss police officers arrived unannounced at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich.
"The defendants also include US and South American sports marketing executives who are alleged to have systematically paid and agreed to pay well over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments," the Department of Justice website says.
The chairman of England's Football Association, Greg Dyke, has described the incident as "very serious for FIFA and its current leadership."
The US Department of Justice announced the indictments on Twitter.
Nine FIFA Officials and Five Corporate Executives Indicted for Racketeering Conspiracy and Corruption http://t.co/7SvYgNmlaN
— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) May 27, 2015
US Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch says "the indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” as quoted by The New York Times.
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