Switzerland arrest high ranking FIFA officials over corruption charge

[makaihime]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32895048

Finally. Can't fix anything if the roots are rotten to begin with.

Currently those arrested:

Jeffrey Webb - FIFA Vice President
Eugenio Figueredo - Outgoing FIFA V.P.
Jack Warner - Former CONCACAF President

This ray of light comes after this disgusting BS: Qatar/FIFA refuses to let Nepalese workers(SLAVES) return to attend funerals after quake

And

As things stand......more than 62 workers will die for each game played during the 2022 tournament (Qatar)
cr.

This ****ing mess runs from the root up to the branches/federations. Its a shame to say, but the only way anything will change is if they knock it down to the ground and start from bottom up. :disapp:

---

Update#3: Reportedly up to 15 arrests worldwide. Swiss authorities detail charges as "bribes and kick-backs... totalling more than US$100m" since the early 1990 till now. (that amount is probably just the tip of the iceberg)

Update#2: Jack Warner and his family were paid almost $2 million (£1.2m) from a Qatari firm linked to the country’s successful bid for the 2022 World Cup, The Telegraph can disclose.

Update#1: US media reported that up to 14 executives could be arrested as part of the FBI investigation, which has been running since 2011. The charges against them include fraud, racketeering and money laundering and relate to World Cup bids as well as marketing and broadcast deals.

 

[dorispulaski]

FIFA officials arrested in raid; to face corruption charges in U.S.
By Evan Perez, Shimon Prokupecz and Ed Payne, CNN
.....
The charges are a result of a three-year FBI investigation and are to be announced by Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who oversaw the case in Brooklyn before her appointment to lead the Justice Dept in Washington, and James Comey, the FBI director.

The reason why the United States brought charges against the suspects is because the plots were allegedly hatched on American soil.

"According to U.S. request, these crimes were agreed and prepared in the U.S., and payments were carried out via U.S. banks,"

the Swiss Office of Justice said.

It is interesting how the FBI and the US claim jurisdiction in the case, and also interesting that Switzerland was OK with making the arrest.

I. wonder whether they were caught by the oversight and reporting of monetary transfers that the US has in place to detect terrorist activity? They were fools to use US banks.

 

[Baxel]

Excellent news. The culture of an organisation starts from the top.
And it certainly makes me think of the ISU.

 

[Krunchii]

They need to arrest that dingdong named Blatter in order to start cleaning up the FIFA first

at this point it's pretty late to move the World Cup and apparently the only place that has the infrastructure for it is the USA which is south of me so I'm not complaining

 

[shiroKJ]

Qatar has invested too much into the 2022 games. I know there's a huge human rights issue over the slaves building the infrastructure right now but if FIFA moves the WC, it could cause some serious damage to their economy. It’s a lose-lose situation for the country and its people unfortuntely :disapp:

I know people go “oh the ISU is killing the sport” (which I don't completely agree with) or whatever but really, at least what they’re doing only affect those within the sport and not causing actual physical harm. The worst thing that can happen is when a system/group becomes too big to fall, and that is exactly what FIFA is right now. They have indirectly killed thousands of people and more will continue to die, but here they are sitting with their heads up their asses and pretending nothing's happening. It’s because FIFA has in their hands, the most important products in the world within the biggest sport in the world and no one wants to/can challenge them. Whether this indictment will cause a ripple effect throughout the entire system or if its just going to be a silent drop, we’ll have to see but my hopes are low. Anyways, it’s always nice to see Blatter sweat.

I wonder if we'll see a similar happening with the IOC in the future. Compared to FIFA, they're like the little brother of corruption :sarcasm:

 

[StitchMonkey]

It is interesting how the FBI and the US claim jurisdiction in the case, and also interesting that Switzerland was OK with making the arrest.

I. wonder whether they were caught by the oversight and reporting of monetary transfers that the US has in place to detect terrorist activity? They were fools to use US banks.

Yeah, i can't tell if i am impressed with the stupidity or the brazenness. Don't give the USA an excuse to pay attention to you.

My favorite has to be the guy who requested a British knighthood as a bribe.

 

[dorispulaski]

If I were into conspiracy theories, I'd be wondering if this was one reason why Lynch's confirmation as Attorney General was held up for so long. The amount of money involved is staggering, and I cannot say that our US Senate is above corruption...particularly when it comes in the form of large campaign contributions that can be made since the Citizens United case.

 

[gmyers]

If I were into conspiracy theories, I'd be wondering if this was one reason why Lynch's confirmation as Attorney General was held up for so long. The amount of money involved is staggering, and I cannot say that our US Senate is above corruption...particularly when it comes in the form of large campaign contributions that can be made since the Citizens United case.

I love it! Qatar bribes people. Those people give money to us senators. They demand senators block investigator of bribery from being attorney general. Republicans use immigration as cover. They fail lynch is attorney general. In order to reduce jail time the FIFA people say they were bribing McConnell and McConnell goes to jail!

 

[dorispulaski]

It would make a heckuva tv series wouldn't it

 

[GF2445]

FIFA's corruption makes the ISU look like a saint.

 

[GF2445]

Also, as an Australian I am particularly interested to see whether or not corruption played a role in the decision for the 2022 World Cup to be played in Qatar.

 

[Interspectator]

Also, as an Australian I am particularly interested to see whether or not corruption played a role in the decision for the 2022 World Cup to be played in Qatar.

What do they propose to do about the heat? Play only in the middle of the night?

 

[Meoima]

FIFA's corruption makes the ISU look like a saint.

Sadly so.

 

[TheGrandSophy]

What do they propose to do about the heat? Play only in the middle of the night?

They moved it from summer to December due to the heat. Madness. Oh, no... Just bribes.

ETA: And look at the human rights violations and it will make you sick.

 

[Interspectator]

They moved it from summer to December due to the heat. Madness. Oh, no... Just bribes.

ETA: And look at the human rights violations and it will make you sick.

Yeah, I saw some articles...It's crazy!

 

[Mia29]

France seems vote tomorrow for Blatter Not a surprise. There's some jokes in the french football, so one more or not, it will not change something Poor Platini who will be alone in his country but he seems someone who isn't "active". There had a tv show in France about the money in the football and he looks someone who knows lot of things but couldn't do anything

I'm interested too because they talk about corruption for france 98 and we have had the feminine worldcup 2019 some weeks ago (the worldcup U20 women will be in my region in 2018)

 

[gmyers]

No one who plays football should be able to play on graveyards of Qatar

 

[StitchMonkey]

No one who plays football should be able to play on graveyards of Qatar

I am sure Putin would be happy to just host it in 2018 and 2022.

But really not sure what we can do now. Is it possible to move it? Can anywhere take it? Does anyone want it?

I just don't know what the best case scenario is at this point.

I wish we could take the bribes and funnel it to the workers. But well my cynicism says it would just go into other corrupt hands.

 

[midorichen]

Qatar has invested too much into the 2022 games. I know there's a huge human rights issue over the slaves building the infrastructure right now but if FIFA moves the WC, it could cause some serious damage to their economy. It’s a lose-lose situation for the country and its people unfortuntely

Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world. It's rolling in money. So I wouldn't feel too sorry about their economy if the WC is moved; I'd feel relief that football has started to clean up its act, that no more slaves are being employed and their lives being wasted in construction, and that maybe, just maybe, Qatar will start looking at its wider human rights issues.

 

[Krunchii]

I am sure Putin would be happy to just host it in 2018 and 2022.

But really not sure what we can do now. Is it possible to move it? Can anywhere take it? Does anyone want it?

I just don't know what the best case scenario is at this point.

I wish we could take the bribes and funnel it to the workers. But well my cynicism says it would just go into other corrupt hands.

Colombia backed out many years ago just 3 years before the World Cup and they pulled it off in Mexico, We've still got 7 and there are countries with the infrastructure to hold a World Cup, USA is the biggest one, England could probably pull it off too, these 2 countries will not need to build more stadiums if they can plan it out properly, other big soccer nations such as Germany or Spain could probably do it too since their leagues are on break during the summer, France is hosting Euro 2016, they are also a possibility for a large scale soccer event without building a handful of new stadiums