FIFA top after scandals: – FIFA is the suffering party in this matter – Aftenposten

Maintains president Sepp Blatter stays calm after the arrests.

Press conference: FIFA grilles on corruption charges. See video window above

The International Football Federation (FIFA) woke up to a new scandal when Swiss police Wednesday morning stormed a hotel in Zurich where many of football’s leaders lived in connection with the FIFA Congress Thursday and Friday this week.

14 people are currently confirmed arrested on suspicion of money laundering and corruption.

Walter De Gregorio, the organization’s communications director, held Thursday morning press conference. There was not much self-examination to track with top management for the crisis-ridden organization.

– It is FIFA who are the suffering party in this matter. We want to emphasize that there has been no search of the FIFA offices. We cooperate with the authorities, it is in our highest interest, said De Gregorio.

– Blatter stays calm to it all

Many of the journalists in the audience seemed to respond to that the ailing organization takes on the role of victim.

Director of Communications also said that the controversial president Sepp Blatter takes it all calmly. Friday is the presidential election, and most believe that the organization’s 209 member countries choose 79-year-old to his fifth presidential term.

– Having seen more speculation in the press and on social media, I would emphasize: The Secretary General and the President is not involved in what happened today, said De Gregorio.

– First and foremost, Blatter focused on the FIFA Congress. Stress factor is slightly higher today than it was yesterday. He is quite relaxed, because he knew before is confirmed today, he is not involved.

Several journalists reacted and asked how the president can be calm now when the organization he heads is plunged into a new crisis.

The Gregorio was tvunet to pinpoint.

– He dances not just in the office today, but he sees what is happening and is relaxed. He is cooperating with police. He is not a happy man and says, “Wow, this was really cool.” He sees that this is the result of an investigation we FIFA initiated last year, said De Gregorio.

He stressed several times that FIFA even went to the Swiss public prosecutor on November 8 last year and submitted documents basis for investigation.

Unable consequences for the World Cup in Qatar

It happened after great pressure and many media reports about suspicions of corruption in connection with the awarding of the World Cup to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.

British The Times published cases on the basis of documents which they believe proves corruption in connection with that Qatar very surprising was awarded the World Cup.

The journalists in the audience wanted to know about the arrests makes FIFA considering another round about who will host this World Cup.

– No, we will not consider this again. World Cup in 2018 and 2022 will be played in Russia and Qatar, as the President has stated previously, the spokesman said.

– Do you expect us to speculate about this today? World Cup will be played in Russia and Qatar. There are facts today. I can not say anything more about what will happen in the future, he added new questions about the case.

The raid against FIFA’s offices

It is two different investigations that underlie today’s arrests.

One investigation is about the awarding of the World Cup to Russia and Qatar respectively in 2018 and 2022 on the basis of suspicion that there has been something that has not withstood scrutiny.

The clock 06 this morning police went into action against FIFA’s offices and took the seizure of data both digitally and in archives. The investigation was opened by the public prosecutor on 10 March this year. According to a press release from the Swiss public prosecutor believes that it may have been ongoing illegal øknomiske transactions.

Switzerland is responsible alone for the investigation of what happened during the election of Russia and Qatar as it is suspected that it should have happened on Swiss soil and that Swiss banks may have been used for money laundering.

The arrest of corruption suspects

The second investigation and arrest of 14 people is initiated of investigation that has been ongoing for several years where the FBI has been central. The reason for action early this morning, coming on the basis of a request from the public prosecutor in the Eastern New York about the arrest of unnamed persons on suspicion of corruption.

Swiss police have here acted on behalf of the Swiss Department of Justice . It is the Department of Justice who now manages the US request for extradition of the detainees to the United States.

These are arrested

The US Justice Department confirms that we are talking about these current or former FIFA members

Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costas Senator, Rafael Esquivel, José Maria Marin, Nicolás Leoz, Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Hugo Jinkis, Mariano Jinkis and José Margulies .

The United States wants the detainees handed over.

The defendant is accused of racketeering, wiretapping, money laundering and other offenses. In total, the 14 accused have received 150 million US dollars (1.1 billion Norwegian kroner at today’s exchange rate, journ.anm) in bribes in connection with racketeering, according to the press release from the US Department of Justice.

Published: 27 May. 2015 24:08