Swiss Prosecutors Say FIFA Have Agreed to Hand Over Jerome Valcke's Emails

Swiss prosecutors said Thursday that FIFA have agreed to hand over the emails of suspended secretary general Jerome Valcke. (Jerome Valcke's Suspension a Big Blow for FIFA)

Access to the emails had been demanded by Switzerland's Attorney General Michael Lauber as part of his probe into corruption allegations surrounding the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. (Jerome Valcke - Blatter's Outspoken Right Hand Man)

Valcke was FIFA president Sepp Blatter's right-hand man until his suspension last week over accusations that he agreed to let World Cup tickets be sold at vastly inflated prices.

"Today, late afternoon, FIFA informed the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) to unseal all email accounts belonging to Mr. Jerome Valcke, suspended secretary-general," said a statement from the attorney general's office.

"The OAG will have access to Mr. Valcke's email accounts as requested.

"Furthermore, the OAG is pleased to note that FIFA has handed over, on its own initiative, Jerome Valcke's emails since May 2015."

Earlier on Thursday, Lauber's office said FIFA had attached conditions to the handover of Valcke's emails.

The nature of those conditions was not known, and it was not clear what, if anything, ultimately led FIFA to unseal Valcke's correspondence.

FIFA said it was "committed" to cooperating with the Swiss attorney general.

Lauber has obtained an enormous amount of electronic evidence from FIFA and there was no indication that Valcke is the main target of the Swiss investigation.

Swiss prosecutors had demanded access to Valcke's emails before the Frenchman was suspended over the alleged ticket scheme.