By RYAN TOLMICH
The saga surrounding the bidding process of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups is far from over.
FIFA announced on Monday that the organization is set to file a criminal complaint to the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland with regard to the bidding process surrounding the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
“The subject of the criminal complaint is the possible misconduct of individual persons in connection with the awarding of the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups investigated by Michael Garcia, chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee,” FIFA said in a statement Tuesday. “In particular there seem to be grounds for suspicion that, in isolated cases, international transfers of assets with connections to Switzerland took place, which merit examination by the criminal prosecution authorities.
“The reports compiled by Michael Garcia and Cornel Borbély will be made available to the Office of the Attorney General via Hans-Joachim Eckert. Unlike FIFA’s bodies, the Swiss criminal prosecution authorities have the ability to conduct investigations under application of criminal procedural coercive measures.”
The complaint comes in the aftermath of a meeting between FIFA’s ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert and Garcia, who has spoken out against FIFA’s handling of his report. President Sepp Blatter had a part in submitting the complaint,although names have yet to be released.
“I lodged the criminal complaint upon the recommendation of Judge Eckert,” Blatter said. “I cannot, however, comment on any possible criminal offences. I am not a lawyer. I also was not the addressee of the investigatory report, which I have never seen. However, given Judge Eckert’s recommendation, it was my duty — as the president of FIFA — to lodge the complaint.”
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What do you think of FIFA’s complaint? What action do you see being taken?
Share your thoughts below.
Somehow I bet Platini and Blatters name aren’t on the indictments I bet some non FIFA insiders will be made scapegoats
wow! wtf is going on? i’m just confused at this point
Why even follow this story, there is no way… no absolute way that either WC will be changed. It’s not going to happen, all this in the mean time is distraction and talking points for media outlets. Get used to Russia and Qatar. Russia is definitely happening, it’s just about 3 1/2 years away, and Qatar isn’t going to give that up unless FIFA wants to be sued by deep pocketed oil Sheiks.
I’m at the point where I don’t even like following International football anymore. I hate pointless friendlies disrupting the season.
There is only one man with the intelligence, vision and courage to run FIFA…a man who saved a league from destruction and built it up into a world power while keeping costs low. A man who bleeds Red, White and Blue for the game.
I accept the position!
With the public, professional and legal pressure coming on FIFA, and who knows what is occuring behind the scenes, I have to imagine this is FIFA trying to get ahead of this. Similar to some big college program handing down suspensions for recruiting violations before the NCAA comes down on them.
Another Bladder leaking stinking smoke screen
As much as people beatch, moan and complain about FIFA how come Blatter is running unopposed again?
Where is Gulati’s nomination?
Fake outrage all of it.
This really makes me wonder if there is a smoking gun in the full report.
Are the “misconduct of individual persons in connection with the awarding of the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups”, persons who are possibly threats to Blatters re-election as the kingpin of FIFA? Sepp is the master of character assassinations.
So…let me get this straight. A in depth report is done. Fifa did not want to make it public. Many cried foul. So Fifa published a Cliff notes version, that basically said, nope, no issues. (Well, the UK and the US were not perfect, but FIFA is…) Then the leader of the full in depth report speaks up saying the scaled down report was not a good representation of his full report. NOW, Fifa files this motion? I thought they said they were clear…Color me confused.
Scrambling like a bunch of thefts when someone turned on the lights in the room they broke into.
Yeah, you heard me.
Your friends,
Sepp
Prolly going after a potential leak who broke a confidentiality agreement in their employment contract. Cause you know, multinational corporations have rights…
Corporations are people, yo.
The plot thickens.
I picture Sepp with multiple personalities. On the one hand, he’s saying, “I lodged the criminal complaint upon the recommendation of Judge Eckert,” and on the other, he’s saying, “It wasn’t me, seee! You’ll never take me alive, copper! And I would’ve gotten away with it if it wasn’t for those meddling kids, seee!”
To quote John Oliver, “if your name is ‘Sepp,’ at the bare minimum you’ve strangled someone in a bar fight. That’s just a fact.”
Haha! +1
Don’t need it, don’t want it. Let the Fn parasites go elsewhere.
So, Blatter has never seen the investigative report? Ignorance is truly bliss, isn’t it Seppy?
the best part is i don’t even think he’s allowed to… they have all the rules sorted so everyone can say they did their best and nothing is revealed. I bet they weren’t expecting the investigator to call them out on not following his report though!
Little does Sepp know that he has been wiping his arse with the report for the last week. Its rolled up nicely next to his porcelain throne
Let me know when the US is awarded 2022. Thanks.
Smokescreen.
+100000000
classic deflection tactic
This could also be preemptive given that the FBI is investigating. FIFA will have a lot more control and sway over a criminal prosecution in Switzerland than it would in the U.S. (i.e., none).
What a complete and total cluster_uck.
+1
I’d like to think this is a step in the right direction by FIFA, but until details of what and who is being investigated, I remain skeptical. Hopefully this is a meaningful development, but my cynicism of FIFA makes me think this is an effort to reduce pressure.
They’re skeered. UEFA’s big wheels are talking openly about pulling out of FIFA. So delay and obfuscate.
This is obfuscation on a whole different level, though, kinda like Johnny Cochran filing a motion after having a hit or two of crack, and I’m not even sure FIFA knows what the heck FIFA is up to at this point.
They’re filing charges based on a report that allegedly cleared all bidders of wrongdoing?
Huh.
UEFA is NOT talking about leaving FIFA. Stop making things up.
It was suggested.
Both Germany and England are talking about it. Very openly.
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/german-football-league-president-reinhard-rauball-blasts-fifa-world-cup-bidding-report-111514
B.S.
Reinhard Rauballr Represents the firs and second divisions of the Bundesliga, not the German FA or UEFA. His opinion is about as valuable as that of Don Garber.
Why would UEFA leave FIFA? They are still learning how to be corrupt as possible from their overlord
Garcia said the report Eckert gave is not complete and accurate. The good angels argument is they are reporting Garcia’s allegations.
The cynical version is this is like sending a controversial case to grand jury, some third party decides where the case goes, if they don’t charge anyone then FIFA has the good housekeeping seal of approval.
They are trying to set up any legal proceedings in Siwitzerland instead of America-if that comes to pass
BS. This is a PR response by FIFA so they can say “we’re doing something about the ‘accusations’ that were made.” But here’s the deal (and I bet a lawyer for FIFA told them this)…since it’s FIFA making the complaint, if at some point things get too hot for FIFA, they can always decline to press charges (since they’re the ones initiating the complaint). Happens all the time….wife calls police to say her husband is violent with her, police show up and make arrest, husband promises wife he’ll be better, wife declines to press charges (despite that an arrest has been made and there is physical evidence of a crime). So the husband walks free (and then engages in violence again). Happens all the time with white collar crime (where an organization declines to press charges b/c they don’t want the bad PR). The only way this works is if it’s out of FIFA’s control. That would mean someone like UEFA or CONCACAF would have to make a complaint. Additionally, it charges that the complaint is against several individuals (who either become scapegoats or this is used to get some people to shut up.) Right now, this effort by FIFA is just PR and it allows them to have a bunch of outs.
Um, what? FIFA is lodging a complaint against the Swiss Attorney General for something FIFA did?
I can’t be reading that right, can I?
For something “individual persons” did who might work for FIFA.