The United States have accused soccer officials of corrupting a sport loved by billions, warning the investigation is not over and seeking the extradition of suspects arrested in Switzerland.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Wednesday unveiled the fruits of a complex, international investigation, spanning years, after seven soccer officials were arrested in Zurich in dawn-raids by Swiss police at US request.
The 47-count US indictment charges 14 soccer officials and marketing executives with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies that span 24 years beginning in 1991.
The officials are charged with conspiring to solicit and receive more than $US150 million ($A194 million) in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for their support of marketing executives who agreed to make the illegal payments.
“They corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves,” Lynch said.
“This Department of Justice is determined to end these practices to root out corruption and bring wrongdoers to justice.”
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US officials would not be drawn on whether there would be further charges against senior FIFA figures, not named in the indictment, and repeatedly refused to answer questions about the body’s president Sepp Blatter.
“It’s a significant step but I want to be very clear, this is the beginning of our effort not the end,” said Kelly Currie, acting US attorney for the eastern district of New York.
“We look forward to continuing our work with our international partners… to be ridding global soccer from this type of corruption.”
Lynch said the US investigation into kickbacks was separate but parallel to a Swiss investigation into allegations of bribery in the process of awarding World Cups to Russia (2018) and Qatar, who beat a failed bid from Australia for the 2022 tournament.
“Two generations of soccer officials,” Lynch said, “used their positions of trust within their respective organisations to solicit bribes from sports marketers in exchange for the commercial rights to their soccer tournaments. They did this over and over, year after year, tournament after tournament.”
Tens of millions of dollars had been discovered hidden away in offshore accounts in Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands and Switzerland, said Richard Weber, chief of the US tax agency’s criminal investigation division.
“It was a World Cup of Fraud. Today we are showing them the red card,” he said. “It is a great day for the global fight against corruption, money laundering or international tax evasion.”
Citing as examples, Lynch said FIFA took bribes during the process that awarded the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, the first time that the tournament was held in Africa.
“Even for this historic event, FIFA executives and others corrupted the process by using bribes to influence the hosting decision,” she said.
Lynch would not comment on the upcoming 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which are to be held in Russia and Qatar, but said: “I think FIFA has a lot of soul searching to do.”
The South African Football Association refused to comment on the US investigation.
Lynch said bribes were also involved in the 2011 FIFA presidential election and that in preparation for the 2016 Copa American being held in the United States for the first time, $US110 million in bribes were paid.
US officials also announced that four individuals and two corporations have separately pleaded guilty. They include a US citizen and a 71-year-old Brazilian sports marketing executive.
US agents also began executing a search warrant at the Miami headquarters of CONCACAF, the continental confederation under FIFA in the United States.
Lynch said the United States was seeking the extradition of the defendants arrested in Switzerland and the arrest of the others, whom she said abused the US financial system and violated US law.
“We intend to hold them accountable,” she said.
“They will receive a fair trial if they are brought to this country.”
The Swiss justice ministry said that six of the seven FIFA officials arrested in Zurich were opposing their extradition to the United States.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter admits football’s world body faces a “difficult time” but vowed any officials found guilty would be expelled from the sport.
Blatter gave his first reaction to the arrest of seven officials in Zurich as part of a US corruption probe with FIFA provisionally banning 11 people over their alleged involvement in the scandal.
“This is a difficult time for football, the fans and for FIFA as an organisation,” Blatter said in a statement on Wendesday.
“We understand the disappointment that many have expressed and I know that the events of today will impact the way in which many people view us.
“Let me be clear: such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game,” added Blatter who is standing for re-election on Friday.
The FIFA chief welcomed the investigation by US and Swiss authorities saying “it will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken to root out any wrongdoing in football.
“While there will be many who are frustrated with the pace of change, I would like to stress the actions that we have taken and will continue to take.”
Blatter said FIFA had asked Switzerland’s attorney general to investigate the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.
“We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and we will work vigorously within FIFA in order to root out any misconduct, to regain your trust and ensure that football worldwide is free from wrongdoing,” said Blatter, who faces mounting pressure over his leadership.
