Swiss Authorities Say No Plans to Question FIFA Chief Sepp Blatter For Now
FIFA was rocked Wednesday by early morning arrests of seven football officials at a luxury hotel in Zurich.
Swiss authorities said Thursday there were no plans as yet to question FIFA's veteran leader Sepp Blatter in their investigation of money laundering and corruption allegations against football's main international body.
"For the time being, there are no plans to question the FIFA president," Andre Marty, a spokesman for the office of Switzerland's attorney general, told AFP in an email. (Blatter Not Involved in Corruption Probe: FIFA)
His comment came after FIFA was rocked Wednesday by early morning arrests of seven football officials at a luxury hotel in Zurich, where the organisation is based and where its annual congress kicks off Thursday. (FIFA Presidential Election Should be Postponed: UEFA)
The arrests came at the request of US authorities, who said nine football officials were among a total of 14 people facing up to 20 years in jail if found guilty in the long-running corruption case involving more than $150 million in bribes.
US documents indicate that South Africa paid bribes to FIFA officials to secure the 2010 World Cup.
Swiss police also searched FIFA's headquarters as part of a separate investigation into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.
Blatter, who has headed FIFA for 17 years and is set to stand for reelection on Friday, was not on the list.
The beleaguered 79-year-old FIFA president remained closeted in his office as global headlines slammed the "World Cup of fraud", with many calling for him to step down.
Blatter, who nonetheless remains favourite to win Friday's election, vowed in a statement late Wednesday that any officials found guilty of corruption would be expelled from the sport.
"Such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game," he said. (US Vows to Rid Global Soccer of Corruption)