FIFA Officials Arrested in Federal Corruption Investigation
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iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(ZURICH) — Swiss authorities on Wednesday arrested officials with FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, in connection with a federal corruption investigation, law enforcement officials told ABC News.
According to three senior U.S. law enforcement officials, the indictments to be unsealed will focus on allegations of bribery and corruption by current and former FIFA board members in connection with awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. The United States was a runner-up to Qatar in the final vote.
Six soccer officials were arrested and detained pending extradition, according to a statement by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice. The arrest warrants “were issued further to a request by the U.S. authorities,” the statement reads.
According to the FOJ, the officials are being investigated “on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kick-backs between the early 1990s and the present day,” totaling more than $100 million.
News of the arrests was first reported by The New York Times.
Full details of the investigation are scheduled to be unveiled during a 10:30 a.m. news conference in Brooklyn, New York. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey are scheduled to attend.
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