There's a big cast of characters involved in the FIFA scandal that broke yesterday, in which 14 people were indicted on charges related to corruption in world soccer. Four other people have already pled guilty and are cooperating with the investigation, while an astonishing 25 other co-conspirators have been mentioned but not yet named or charged.
Full Answer
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.
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.
Who was charged in the FIFA bribery scandal?
The Department of Justice has not charged anybody at FIFA with bribery. Prosecutors have instead alleged racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracies under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) Act, which was intended for use against the Mafia.
Who has previously pleaded guilty under seal in the FIFA scandal?
The following individuals and corporations previously pleaded guilty under seal: On July 15, 2013, the defendant Daryll Warner, son of defendant Jack Warner and a former FIFA development officer, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with wire fraud and the structuring of financial transactions.
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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 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.
Which countries bribed FIFA?
U.S. Says FIFA Officials Were Bribed to Award World Cups to Russia and Qatar. For nearly a decade, Russia and Qatar have been suspected of buying votes to win hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
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.
What happened FIFA arrests?
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".
How much did Russia pay for the World Cup?
Russia (2018) Russia's official budget of 678 billion rubles spent on projects for the tournament is less than the $15bn spent by Brazil on the 2014 World Cup.
Are UEFA corrupt?
UEFA Corruption Perhaps unsurprisingly, FIFA isn't the only footballing body guilty of misbehaviour on a grand scale. It's European counterpart, UEFA, has also been caught up in the mire of corruption that has swept through world football.
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.
Which countries are prosecuting former FIFA executives?
GENEVA (AP) — Former FIFA officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors on Tuesday after a six-year investigation into a controversial $2 million payment.
How many members does FIFA have?
FIFA is composed of 209 member associations, each representing organized soccer in a particular nation or territory, including the United States and four of its overseas territories. FIFA also recognizes six continental confederations that assist it in governing soccer in different regions of the world.
What was Daryan Warner charged with?
25, 2013, the defendant Daryan Warner waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions.
How much did Hawilla forfeit?
Hawilla also agreed to forfeit over $151 million, $25 million of which was paid at the time of his plea. On May 14, 2015, the defendants Traffic Sports USA Inc. and Traffic Sports International Inc. pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.
How much did the defendants pay in kickbacks?
The defendants also include U.S. and South American sports marketing executives who are alleged to have systematically paid and agreed to pay well over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments.
What is the racketeering conspiracy?
The indictment alleges that, between 1991 and the present, the defendants and their co-conspirators corrupted the enterprise by engaging in various criminal activities , including fraud, bribery and money laundering.
Where is the search warrant being executed?
Also this morning, a search warrant is being executed at CONCACAF headquarters in Miami, Florida. The guilty pleas of the four individual and two corporate defendants that were also unsealed today include the guilty pleas of Charles Blazer, the long-serving former general secretary of CONCACAF and former U.S.
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.
What was the name of the football association that Mr. Warner was the president of?
He was also president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) until 2011. After he resigned, Fifa dropped its inquiry into whether he was involved in any corruption. Mr Warner returned to Trinidad and Tobago, where he became minister of security.
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.
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 ...
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.
What is the role of Concacaf?
One of its key roles is helping to agree World Cup TV and sponsorship deals in the US.
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.
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.
Why is FIFA a legal takedown?
FIFA is uniquely positioned for this kind of epic legal takedown because the Justice Department kind of gets off on this heavy-lifting display of authority even outside American borders over the past decade. Also, it helps that Americans don't really care about soccer.
Why did Swiss police raid a hotel?
Swiss police on Wednesday raided a Zurich hotel to detain top FIFA football officials as part of a US investigation into corruption. Philipp Schmidli/Getty. Early this morning in Zurich (or late last night for those of us stateside), Swiss plainclothes police entered the Baur au Lac; the five-star hotel was the site of this week's annual meeting ...
Why do sports leagues lock out players?
Endemically American sports leagues—the NFL, NBA, MLB for instance—can get away with holding cities hostage for taxpayer money to rebuild stadiums, or locking out players to get a larger share of league revenue, because Americans care too much about seeing the sport to rise up against the shady business.
Which countries have the same say in the federation?
That means that the Maldives, Trinidad & Tobago, or Andorra have the same say in federation decisions as Brazil, Germany, or England.
Is FIFA a federal case?
This is a federal case, and the indictment deals chiefly with alleged fraud and corruption in North and South America. Until now, FIFA has deflected widespread corruption allegations by finding and suspending scapegoats, rather than acknowledging any problems at an institutional level.
Is FIFA a nonprofit?
But while he maintains that FIFA is but a humble nonprofit doing humanitarian work to bring sport to the world, he’s basically the head of a shadow nation-state that doesn’t "govern" world soccer so much as it plunders countries that want to host the World Cup. (Like, say, Qatar .)
Why were FIFA officials arrested in Zurich?
The Swiss Justice Ministry said six of the seven FIFA officials arrested in Zurich in a U.S. corruption probe plan to fight being extradited to the U.S. "The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States," Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said in the statement.
Where were the arrests in the 2014 World Cup?
World Cup 2014 66 photos. The arrests were made at the lakeside Baur au Lac Hotel in downtown Zurich, long favored as a place for senior FIFA officials to stay. It was the stage for intense lobbying for votes ahead of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting decisions in December 2010.
How much money did Warner's sons forfeit?
He has been a cooperating witness for the FBI since leaving soccer in 2013 and has forfeited almost $2 million. U.S. officials say guilty pleas were also given by Warner's sons, Daryan and Daryll; and Jose Hawilla, an executive of the Brazil-based sports marketing firm Traffic Sports.
What is Jack Warner's son charged with?
Warner is charged with wire fraud and the structuring of financial transactions
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.
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
Overview
Allegations
The 2015 arrests centre on the alleged use of bribery, fraud and money laundering to corrupt the issuing of media and marketing rights for FIFA games in the Americas, estimated at $150 million, including at least $110 million in bribes related to the Copa América Centenario to be hosted in 2016 in the United States. In addition, the indictment handed down by the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York, alleges that bribery was used in an attempt to influence clothing sponsorshi…
Timeline of events
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.
Following investigations Swiss magistrate Thomas Hildbrand seized documents from FIFA offices in 2005 and in 2007 Jennings published a book – Foul – and broadcast the BBC Panoram…
Response to indictments
On 29 May 2015, Sepp Blatter won re-election to the FIFA presidency at the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich amid growing criticism over his position. Four days later, however, he announced that he would continue as president only until a new election would be conducted at a 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress on 26 February 2016. Blatter said that he would not be a candidate for election at tha…
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
• United States of America v. Jeffrey Webb, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Jack Warner, Eugenio Figueredo, Rafael Esquivel, Jose Maria Marin, Nicolas Leoz, Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Hugo Jinkis, Mariano Jinkis, and Jose Margulies, aka Jose Lazaro, F.#2015R00747 (U.S. District Court – Brooklyn Office May 20, 2015)
• The FIFA Investigation, Explained