By RYAN TOLMICH
Swiss officials’ investigation into FIFA has yielded a staggering amount of potential wrong-doing.
Investigators are looking into 53 potential cases of money laundering and 104 incidents of suspicious activity in Swiss bank accounts in relation to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, according to The Guardian.
Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber, whose investigation is running alongside the FBI’s into FIFA, says that investigators are currently examining “nine terabytes” of data seized.
“I am well aware of the enormous public interest in our investigation. Equally enormous is the public interest in an independent criminal procedure,” Lauber said. “Our investigation is of great complexity and quite substantial. To give you an example: The SAG [Swiss attorney general’s office] has seized around nine terabytes of data.
“So far, our investigative team has obtained evidence concerning 104 banking relations; be aware that every banking relation represents several bank accounts.”
Lauber went on to state that officials are set to interview “all relevant people,” which could include FIFA president Sepp Blatter and general secretary Jérôme Valcke. The investigation, which Lauber called “huge and complex,” could take months if not years to conclude.
“We are faced with a complex investigation with many international implications. The prosecution is ongoing and will take time,” Lauber said. “It would not be professional to communicate at this moment a detailed timetable. The world of football needs to be patient. By its nature, this investigation will take more than the legendary 90 minutes.”
What do you expect to happen with the latest FIFA investigations? How long do you see this process lasting?
Share your thoughts below.
The fact that these stories devolve so quickly into handicapping whether or not the U.S. is going to get to host 2018 or 2022 sounds an awful lot like the same kind of “me first” moral bankruptcy that led to FIFA being in its current bloated fat cat state.
In theory, bringing the world cup to parts of the world where it’s spotlight can actually call the worlds attention to poverty and horrific working conditions is actually admirable, (in practice Qatar was a disastrous choice as far as Middle East options go) but only if the billions of dollars in revenue can actually be steered toward making a real difference in those causes. We, as the ultimate “haves” should still discuss and consider how FIFA can help the “have nots” even with something simple like the worlds game instead of obsessing over getting “our” piece of the pie.
FIFA has a chance to change. Maybe we should try to as well?
I think the investigation will tag some people unexpectedly. It will also be harder to track the Russian bid, simply because, the country itself is opaque and rife with corruption. They made great pains to use only Russian banks in money transfers (Although,money transfers are sometimes routed through the US banking system but is not announced., ie, many transfers are routed not through name but numbers (ie, routing numbers) but like an internet ip number, it may transfer through several “central” US banks before reaching its destination. If it is routed through any US banks or US owned banks here and abroad, it is subject to DOJ investigation. I do not think the advanced nature of Russia’s preparation for the WC will make much difference if its been determined that the WC vote for Russia was tainted.
When the SARS epidemic made the Women’s World Cup to be held in China untenable, the US stepped in with only a few months notice to hold a very successful WC. They can and probably will do that in 2018.
Mexico did do a great job hosting on short notice in 86. However that was before it became a Narco-cracy. With shootings in resort towns and rampant kidnapping I don’t see how they would get it
…true, but believe it or not, Mexico is still safer than Brazil (barely) but still safer.
The USA could put it together in 6 months or less. We have the stadiums, we know how to import grass where needed. There is no issue. Bring it here
(1) You do not want it with short notice because you fail to take full advantage of the marketing and money making opportunities.
(2) USA is not the only place that hold it on short notice outside the EU. You seem to forget/not know that Mexico held the ’86 World Cup on short notice because Colombia could not pull it together in time. I think that China (who has a lot of suitable stadiums) and Australia would be great locations.
Part of me just wants it somewhere where it’s never been (China/Australia/Canada). If you are going to stick someplace where its been before (Mexico), then bring it back to the US.
Mexico is riddled with crime. Why would the WC even entertain the idea of going there again? In ’86 the narcos were nothing like they are today(Mainly because the PRI left them alone). I say AUS, CAN, or USA.
Again, what I said is that being able to hold a Word Cup on short notice is something other counties besides the US can do, and I gave an example of the fact that Mexico hosted the ’86 World Cup on short notice. I stated that China and Australia would be great on short term notice.
BTW, do you know that based upon national crime statistics, Mexico is STILL safer than Brazil?
Think both Cups were obviously bought. Unfortunately, it does not sound like there will be enough time to yank the Cup away from Russia in 2018. That said, Qatar 2022 will be up for election again – USA, England, Spain or Australia to host.
2022 won’t be in Europe if 2018 is in Russia, so you can strike England and Spain from your list. I’d add Canada, Mexico, and China as potential challengers to AUS and USA. It’s not that I think they’d be good challengers (excepting Mexico), but I think they’d make a play.
BOTH World Cups?
There were more than two. And none of them were yanked, none of them seem to be “tainted” in hindsight.
But now all of them should be, and who should it go to? The ones that seem the most guilty?
I do think this will show that the US/CONCACAF is right there with the rest of the world and were the only ones to act to solve it, but regardless, it seems premature, at best, to take it to the US. Don’t you agree?
This is going to reach deep. My question is will US Soccer be tainted. If not, I see 2022 here in USA.
You betcha we’re tainted!
USA are already Chuck Blazer deep. It will be a while before we see a World Cup because our involvement as FIFA insiders and as the leading law enforcement agency going after the crooks,
Sunil Gulati has kept his nose clean, and apparently is working with law enforcement, but we are too closely tied to multiple aspects of this case to be a viable contender in ’22. Maybe ’42…
Which is exactly why England is going to get ’18 or ’22
I do not want 2022. The Middle East hates us bad enough, the last thing we need is for Qatar’s moneymen to have nothing to do but finance terror groups for taking their World Cup away.
They shouldn’t have it, but it should still go to Asia. Australia or Japan, IMHO.
USA should get 2026. We would have been a shoe-in…except that Blatter, as his last bit of petty spite, passed as a first action this term that Europe would be eligible to bid on 2026. And this was a day or so after guys were getting led away in handcuffs.
Gotta love FIFA. That had all the legitimacy of that stock market trade conducted at gunpoint that was allowed to stand in that Batman movie. Because, yeah, that seems legit.
I just pray MLS has NOTHING to do with this! I honesty think that the US will get the ’26 WC at the latest though for helping with cleaning up a inept and corrupt organization.
They way I see it, the US will either get early (’22) or not get it for a LONG, LONG time as payback. You have to realize that the majority of voter in Latin America, Africa, Asia and part of Europe had not issues with the way things were run, and might be annoyed that the high and mighty USA and England took the trough/cookie jar away.