00:50Switzerland: FIFA congress to take place despite officials being detained
The FIFA congress will take place on Friday as planned, despite the arrest of several FIFA officials on bribery and corruption charges, FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs Walter De Gregorio confirmed at a press conference in Zurich on Wednesday.
Six suspects were arrested by Swiss authorities working in conjunction with the FBI during an early morning operation at the five star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich early in the morning and could face extradition to the USA. In total, around 14 FIFA officials are said to face corruption and bribery charges worth around €92m ($100m) worldwide. FIFA President Sepp Blatter was not arrested and strongly denies any involvement. Blatter, who is supposed to stand for re-election on Friday, is reported to have called for a postponement of the congress, but De Gregorio said "one thing has nothing whatsoever to do with the other" at the press conference.
The soccer officials charged are FIFA Vice-President Jeffrey Webb, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Eduardo Li, Jack Warner, Jose Maria Marin, Julio Rocha, Nicolas Leoz, Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Mariano Jinkis, Hugo Jinkis, Jose Margulies and Rafael Esquivelm, according to a United States Department of Justice press release.
In addition to the arrests FIFA's headquarters in Zurich have been raided and electronic data connected to the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups has been seized.
SOT TRANSLATION AT SOURCE
00:50The FIFA congress will take place on Friday as planned, despite the arrest of several FIFA officials on bribery and corruption charges, FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs Walter De Gregorio confirmed at a press conference in Zurich on Wednesday.
Six suspects were arrested by Swiss authorities working in conjunction with the FBI during an early morning operation at the five star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich early in the morning and could face extradition to the USA. In total, around 14 FIFA officials are said to face corruption and bribery charges worth around €92m ($100m) worldwide. FIFA President Sepp Blatter was not arrested and strongly denies any involvement. Blatter, who is supposed to stand for re-election on Friday, is reported to have called for a postponement of the congress, but De Gregorio said "one thing has nothing whatsoever to do with the other" at the press conference.
The soccer officials charged are FIFA Vice-President Jeffrey Webb, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Eduardo Li, Jack Warner, Jose Maria Marin, Julio Rocha, Nicolas Leoz, Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Mariano Jinkis, Hugo Jinkis, Jose Margulies and Rafael Esquivelm, according to a United States Department of Justice press release.
In addition to the arrests FIFA's headquarters in Zurich have been raided and electronic data connected to the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups has been seized.
SOT TRANSLATION AT SOURCE