US corruption probe rocks FIFA
The dawn detention of several FIFA leaders and a corruption raid on its headquarters on Wednesday rocked world football's governing body two days before its leader Sepp Blatter seeks a new term.
A FIFA vice-president was among seven people arrested at the luxury Zurich hotel where they were preparing for a congress starting Thursday. All now face deportation to the United States on charges of accepting more than $100 million in bribes.
Separately, Swiss police seized files and emails at the FIFA headquarters as part of an investigation into the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.
FIFA spokesman Walter de Gregorio said Blatter is not involved in the investigations and that the presidential vote would be held as planned on Friday.
"The timing is not great," de Gregorio told reporters. But he added that "FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football."
Swiss police gave a surprise 6:00am wake up call to FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb, from the Cayman Islands, and other six officials at the luxury Baur au Lac hotel. A US Department of Justice statement said seven people were detained.
US Attorney general Loretta Lynch said the investigations "spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks."
US police also raided the CONCACAF headquarters in Miami. Eduardo Li, a FIFA executive committee member from Costa Rica, and Eugenio Figueredo, president of South American football governing body Conmebol from Uruguay, were also among those detained.
Police in plain clothes took the room keys from the reception and went to the rooms of the six, the New York Times said. The operation was carried out peacefully, it added.
The Swiss justice ministry said those detained were suspected of accepting "bribes and kick-backs between the early 1990s and the present day."
The seven could agree to be extradited immediately or challenge the move in court. The US Justice Department said the detained officials could face up to 20 years in jail.
The Swiss raid on FIFA's headquarters formally opened an investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cups that FIFA itself asked for in November.
Police are to question 10 members of the executive committee who took part in the 2010 vote while they are in Zurich for the Congress, officials said.
Qatar has strongly denied any wrongdoing linked to its bid. A former FIFA vice president from the Gulf state, Mohammed bin Hammam, was banned for life from FIFA because of corruption.
A former US attorney, Michael Garcia, investigated the World Cup bids. He left FIFA because it refused to fully publish his report.
In May, Blatter denied he was a target of an FBI corruption investigation and that he had no fear of going to the United States.
He said he would probably go in 2016 for a football tournament there and to Canada next month for the Women's World Cup.
The denial came after an ESPN television documentary said the Swiss official was afraid to go to the United States because of the FBI investigation.
Key points from a US Department of Justice statement
-Nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives were indicted for racketeering conspiracy and corruption
-The indictment alleges that, between 1991 and present, the defendants and their co-conspirators engaged in various criminal activities, including fraud, bribery and money laundering
-The soccer officials are charged with conspiring to solicit and receive well over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for their official support of the sports marketing executives who agreed to make the unlawful payments
-Other alleged schemes relate to the payment and receipt of bribes and kickbacks in connection with the sponsorship of CBF by a major U.S. sportswear company, the selection of the host country for the 2010 World Cup and the 2011 FIFA presidential election
-Seven Defendants Arrested Overseas; Guilty Pleas for Four Individual Defendants and Two Corporate Defendants
-Jeffrey Webb and Jack Warner -- the current and former presidents of CONCACAF -- are among the soccer officials charged with racketeering and bribery offenses
-Also yesterday morning, a search warrant was being executed at CONCACAF headquarters in Miami, Florida
-Charles Blazer, the long-serving former general secretary of CONCACAF and former U.S. representative on the FIFA executive committee pleaded guilty
-The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty