FIFA Officials Indicted on 47 Counts of Corruption Dating Back to 1991
The case the US Department of Justice is bringing against nine FIFA officials and five sports business executives "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," said U Attorney General Loretta Lynch .
The case the U.S. Department of Justice is bringing against nine FIFA officials and five sports business executives “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,” said U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The statement came Wednesday after several officials were arrested at a Swiss hotel in the run-up to FIFA’s annual congress.
According to The Guardian:
Seven of those named in the indictment were arrested at the Baur en Lac hotel on Wednesday morning. Four more individuals and two corporations have already pleaded guilty, according to the US Department of Justice.
“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” Lynch said. … The defendants are accused of corrupt practices dating back to 1991, particularly bribes and kickbacks from sports marketing firms trying to shut rivals out from lucrative tournament contracts, including the World Cup…All the defendants face potential 20-year sentences for the racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering and obstruction of justice charges, the DoJ said.
Fifa has long been accused of corruption. Acting US attorney Kelly Currie warned there could be more charges yet to come. “Let me be clear: this indictment is not the final chapter in our investigation,” she said.
Read more about the charges being brought against FIFA, and watch “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver’s scathing commentary on the soccer organization from June 2014, below.
Your support is crucial...As we navigate an uncertain 2025, with a new administration questioning press freedoms, the risks are clear: our ability to report freely is under threat.
Your tax-deductible donation enables us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes the reality beneath the headlines — without compromise.
Now is the time to take action. Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and uncover the stories that need to be told.
"Next Goal Wins" is part of a global racial and cultural reckoning in ethnic representation in cinema.
Under a groundbreaking agreement, men's and women's teams pool revenue and enjoy equal working conditions.
The lawsuit has drawn worldwide attention. When the U.S. women won the World Cup final last summer, fans chanted ``Equal Pay! Equal Pay!"
The 23 women of the soccer team return from winning the World Cup in France to continue another, more difficult battle for equal pay.
Upon defeating the Netherlands to capture its fourth title and second straight, the national team is serenaded with chants of "Equal Pay."
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.