By Andrew Warshaw
July 13 – Despite persistent claims by Russia and Qatar that their respective 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids were clean, the Swiss investigation into possible corruption linked to the bids has flagged up another 28 acts of possible money-laundering which have been received since June, bringing the total to 81.
In recent weeks, the Swiss probe has played second fiddle to the separate FBI investigation that has led to a string of high-profile arrests but the latest report from the office of Switzerland’s attorney general gives a clear indication of the scale of alleged wrongdoing by individuals involved in the bid process, whether they be voting FIFA members or intermediaries.
Switzerland now has 81 reports of “suspicious financial activity” filed by banks in the country and linked to the two tournaments. While FIFA desperately wants to avoid a re-run of the December 2010, vote – the ultimate admission that corruption may have taken place – the Swiss criminal investigation makes for uncomfortable reading.
Russia and Qatar are preparing to hold their tournaments on schedule. Indeed, Russia stages its landmark World Cup preliminary draw later this month, expected to be a lavish affair attended by a string of FIFA officials and footballing celebrities.
Whether or not Russia and Qatar are in any way culpable, the Swiss investigation is, at best, an unwanted distraction for both sets of organisers. All the new reports, the attorney general statement said, ”are related to the (attorney general’s) investigation into the allocation of the football World Cups 2018 and 2022.”
It added that his office was “very pleased with analysis work done by the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland as it is of great support to the (Swiss) criminal proceedings.
Last month the Swiss team announced it had 53 suspicious incidents to study in what was then described as a ”huge and complex case.”
The investigation has already led to a delay in the launch of bidding process for the 2026 World Cup that was due to begin in 2017.
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