A total of 14 defendants, including nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives, were named in a 47-count indictment read Wednesday in Brooklyn, New York. The charges read more like a Mafia takedown than accusations against the men who run the world's most popular sport.
Full Answer
How many people are charged in the FIFA corruption case?
A 47-count indictment was unsealed early this morning in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging 14 defendants with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, among other offenses, in connection with the defendants’ participation in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer.
What is the FIFA scandal?
In 2015, U.S. federal prosecutors disclosed cases of corruption by officials and associates connected with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the governing body of association football, futsal and beach soccer.
Who are the people charged in the FIFA indictments?
The defendants charged in the indictment include high-ranking officials of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the organization responsible for the regulation and promotion of soccer worldwide, as well as leading officials of other soccer governing bodies that operate under the FIFA umbrella.
Who was charged in the FIFA indictment?
More than six years after being ousted in a sprawling soccer corruption scandal, the former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his onetime ally Michel Platini were indicted on fraud charges on Tuesday by the authorities in Switzerland, who accused the men of arranging a secret $2 million payment.
Who exposed FIFA corruption?
Andrew JenningsLONDON (AP) — Andrew Jennings, a groundbreaking investigative journalist who exposed the darker corners of the Olympic movement and soccer body FIFA, has died.
Who bribed FIFA?
In May 2011, The Sunday Times published claims from a whistle-blower that President of CAF Issa Hayatou had, along with fellow Executive Committee member Jacques Anouma, accepted $1.5 million bribes from Qatar to secure his support for their bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
What was the outcome of the FIFA corruption case?
FIFA, Deemed a Victim of Its Own Scandal, Will Share $200 Million Payout. Soccer's governing body and two affiliates in the Americas have been awarded tens of millions of dollars seized by the Department of Justice.
How much did Qatar bribe FIFA?
According to leaked documents obtained by The Sunday Times, Qatari state-run television channel Al Jazeera secretly offered $400 million to FIFA, for broadcasting rights, just 21 days before FIFA announced that Qatar will hold the 2022 World Cup.
Is FIFA a criminal organization?
The revelation of the criminal charges set off an international firestorm. Then, in December 2015, authorities made public a superseding indictment that expanded the number of suspects charged, and explained in further detail why prosecutors considered FIFA to be a criminal enterprise.
Who is the boss of FIFA?
Giovanni Vincenzo InfantinoGiovanni Vincenzo Infantino (Italian pronunciation: [dʒoˈvanni vinˈtʃɛntso iɱfanˈtiːno]; born 23 March 1970) is a Swiss-Italian football administrator and the current president of FIFA. He was elected President of FIFA during the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress in February 2016.
Is Qatar World Cup corrupt?
A former employee of Qatar's 2022 World Cup organisers who raised concerns over migrant workers has lost his appeal against a conviction for corruption. A court in Doha sentenced Abdullah Ibhais to three years in prison after it upheld a guilty verdict on the charge of misappropriating state funds.
Is the FIFA president corrupt?
A federal prosecutor in Switzerland said on Thursday that he had opened a criminal investigation into Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, after concluding that there were “indications of criminal conduct” in meetings between Infantino and an official overseeing an investigation into soccer corruption.
How much is FIFA president salary?
1.5 million Swiss francs a yearFIFA president Gianni Infantino's salary has been fixed at 1.5 million Swiss francs a year (1.38 million euros, $1.5 million), world football's governing body revealed on Wednesday. That figure is less than a quarter of the salary commanded by Infantino's disgraced predecessor, Sepp Blatter.
Where is Sepp Blatter now?
However, Blatter is now serving a fresh suspension after being found in March of last year to be part of a "vicious circle" of officials who sought to award themselves over £50m in undeclared payments.
Who is the FIFA investigator?
Garcia, a FIFA investigator and former federal prosecutor, wrapped up an 18-month probe into soccer's governing body in September as allegations of foul play swirled over the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, awarded to Russia and Qatar, respectively.
Has FIFA been indicted?
FIFA's current president has not been indicted or charged in connection to the Justice Department investigation. On the agenda at FIFA's Zurich meeting is an election for FIFA's presidency (assuming the Swiss authorities' raid of the Zurich hotel hasn't derailed voting procedures).
How many FIFA officials were arrested in 2015?
On the morning of 27 May 2015, seven FIFA officials were arrested just before the start of the 65th FIFA Congress. Two days later Sepp Blatter comfortably defeated Prince Ali bin Hussein to remain as President of FIFA. David Gill threatened to resign his newly elected role as FIFA Vice-President and member of the FIFA Executive Committee. 41 arrests in total had been made with both organizations and individuals being arrested Within these arrests 14 people have been convicted. Out of these 14, there are 12 individuals and 2 organisations. They were all charged with things like "racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracies". The investigations continued with the chance of more arrests remaining likely, on which Washington, D.C., Attorney General Loretta Lynch stated that the Department of Justice was aware that there are more corrupt officials and organizations, and expressed its commitment to catch all who were involved.
When did FIFA go bankrupt?
In 2001, FIFA affiliate International Sports and Leisure went bankrupt in what were viewed in some circles as suspicious circumstances. In 2002 a FIFA whistleblower contacted British journalist Andrew Jennings relating to alleged corruption within FIFA itself.
How much did Blatter sell the 2010 World Cup?
In September 2015, Swiss public television channel SRF published that Blatter would have sold the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup rights in North America for US$600,000, a small fraction of their market value.
What was the purpose of the bribery indictment?
District Court in Brooklyn, New York, alleges that bribery was used in an attempt to influence clothing sponsorship contracts, the selection process for the 2010 FIFA World Cup host, and the 2011 FIFA presidential election.
What is the FIFA?
In 2015, U.S. federal prosecutors disclosed cases of corruption by officials and associates connected with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA ), the governing body of association football, futsal and beach soccer .
Why was the 2014 World Cup so controversial?
Brazilian residents were unhappy with the amount of public money spent in order to build stadiums and other necessary facilities to host the World Cup. Many protests were held by citizens claiming poor financial management from the Brazilian government. Furthermore, there were additional issues with regard to safety, misconduct, and officiating with underperformance referees.
Which countries have been involved in FIFA arrests?
The arrests case triggered Australia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany and Switzerland to open or intensify separate criminal investigations into top FIFA officials for corruption.
How many people were indicted for corruption in FIFA?
This is in addition to the 14 people - nine Fifa officials and five corporate executives - indicted on corruption charges at the end of May, some of whom have now been convicted. Several other individuals and entities have pleaded guilty and have been convicted.
Who was the Fifa president who was arrested?
He enjoyed the backing of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, 77, who singled him out as his possible successor to head Fifa. Webb was one of seven men arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, on 27 May.
Why did Nicolas Leoz leave the Fifa?
Nicolas Leoz, 87, resigned from Fifa's powerful executive committee on "health and personal" grounds in 2013. In November 2010, the Paraguayan official was accused by the BBC's Panorama programme of taking bribes in the 1990s from the now defunct sports rights agency ISL.
Who is Costas Takkas?
Costas Takkas. A British citizen, Mr Takkas is closely linked to Jeffrey Webb, and worked as an attache to the Concacaf president. Mr Takkas, 58, also worked alongside Webb in the Cayman Islands, as general secretary of its football association.
Is Rafael Callejas extradited?
In January 2016, he agreed to be extradited to the US. Honduran ex- president Rafael Callejas, a member of Fifa's TV and marketing committee, said: "He assured and guaranteed that he was not involved in anything illicit.". Mr Callejas later also appeared on the list of those newly indicted.
Who is the lowest profile person in the indictment?
Rocha is also the former president of the Central American Football Union . He's charged with racketeering, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering.
What is the name of the company that sold TV rights to the Datisa scheme?
The president of a couple of companies that sell TV rights, Marguiles was part of the Datisa scheme, acting as an intermediary between Full Play and Esquivel, and collecting some money for his part. He is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money.
What is the name of the company that Burazco runs?
Burazco runs TyC, a sports marketing company that also has a TV channel. Hilariously, Burazco was caught saying "all can get hurt because of this subject ... all of us go to prison" while meeting with other defendants about the $110 million in bribes paid out for TV and marketing rights surrounding multiple editions of Copa America. He is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money.
What is Jack Warner's son charged with?
Warner is charged with wire fraud and the structuring of financial transactions
Is Platini a corrupt FIFA president?
Though he has never accused Blatter of being corrupt and claims that he likes the FIFA president personally , Platini has asked Blatter to step down and has indicated that he will support Ali in the upcoming election. Platini had previously threatened to boycott the FIFA congress altogether, but changed his position after FIFA executives met on Thursday. While Platini is much more popular than Blatter and is not regularly accused of corruption, he did vote for Qatar to win the rights to host the 2022 World Cup
How many counts of corruption were there in the Brooklyn indictment?
The United States unseals a 47-count indictment in federal court in Brooklyn, charging 14 soccer and marketing officials with corruption schemes dating back 24 years.
Who is the FIFA president in 2016?
Feb. 26, 2016: FIFA has scheduled the election of a new president to succeed Mr. Blatter for next February, during a special FIFA congress in Zurich. Michel Platini, who leads Europe’s governing body, is considered the front-runner, though the allegation that he received a secret $2 million payment from Mr.
What is the corruption crisis in football?
Fifa corruption crisis: Key questions answered. Fifa, football's world governing body, has been engulfed by claims of widespread corruption since summer 2015, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives. It has now claimed the careers of two of the most powerful men in football, Fifa President Sepp Blatter ...
Why did Michael Garcia resign?
The report's independent author, American lawyer Michael Garcia, resigned in protest. The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world, larger even than the Olympics. It generates billions of dollars in revenue from corporate sponsors, broadcasting rights and merchandising.
What is the role of Concacaf?
One of its key roles is helping to agree World Cup TV and sponsorship deals in the US.
Which country hosted the 2006 World Cup?
Germany offers the best option, having hosted the 2006 World Cup. Qatar is more vulnerable and has been dogged with controversy and allegations of corruption ever since it was awarded the tournament.
Did the FIFA executive committee accept bribes?
he and others on the Fifa executive committee agreed to accept bribes in connection with the selection of South Africa as the host of the 2010 World Cup. one of his co-conspirators received a bribe in Morocco for its bid to host the 1998 tournament, which was eventually awarded to France.
Is FIFA a corruption organization?
Fifa is the body responsible for running world football. It has recently been dogged by accusations of corruption, particularly after awarding the 2022 World Cup to the tiny but rich and influential Gulf state of Qatar. In December 2014, Fifa chose not to release its own investigation into corruption, instead releasing an executive summary which it ...
Did Blatter pay Platini?
They have both maintained that the payment was for work by Mr Platini as the president's advisor in 2002. Mr Blatter has maintained that Fifa did not have enough money to pay Mr Platini at the time, so they agreed to delay payment.
Trump and Russia
The case got its start in a somewhat unlikely place. In 2010, an agent of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) looking into Russian organized crime groups got a tip that Russia seemed to be trying to improperly influence FIFA officials to vote in support of the country’s ultimately successful bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
Crossing the Goal Line
In late 2011, US investigators confronted Blazer and offered him a choice: cooperate on the FIFA probe or face prosecution for felony tax evasion. Blazer chose to cooperate, and became what Bensinger calls a “tour guide” of soccer corruption.
Fair Play?
Has the exhaustive investigation and prosecution of some of the most powerful figures in soccer helped clean up the sport?
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Allegations
Indicted Individuals and Corporations
- A total of 18 individuals and two corporations have been indicted, including nine FIFA officials and five businessmen.
Timeline of Events
- Historical events leading to the arrests
In 2001, FIFA affiliate International Sports and Leisure went bankrupt in what were viewed in some circles as suspicious circumstances. In 2002 a FIFA whistleblower contacted British journalist Andrew Jenningsrelating to alleged corruption within FIFA itself. Following investigations Swiss … - Arrests
On the morning of 27 May 2015, seven FIFA officials were arrested just before the start of the 65th FIFA Congress. Two days later Sepp Blatter comfortably defeated Prince Ali bin Hussein to remain as President of FIFA. David Gill threatened to resign his newly elected role as FIFA Vice-P…
Response to Indictments
- Convicted defendants
According to the US Department of Justice web site, the following defendants previously pleaded guilty under seal and agreed to forfeit more than $40 million. 1. On 26 May 2015, Zorana Danis, the co-founder and owner of International Soccer Marketing Inc., a New Jersey-based sports ma… - Governmental
1. Australia – On 29 May 2015, the Australian Federal Police announced that it may investigate a $500,000 payment by Football Federation Australia(FFA) to Jack Warner, with the FFA stating that the payment was "mandatory" and part of their failed 2022 World Cup bid. 2. Brazil – Senator an…
See Also
- 2014 protests in Brazil: pointing and partially caused by widespread corruption on the 2014 FIFA World Cup
- 2015 Greek football scandal
- 2018 FIFA World Cup controversies
- ChangeFIFA
External Links