United States Law Enforcer Tight-Lipped on Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter's shock resignation on Tuesday has sparked speculation that the 79-year-old, reelected to a fifth term in office last week, was also under investigation over allegations of more than $150 million in bribes.
America's top law enforcer Loretta Lynch, who led the corruption indictments of nine football officials last week, refused to be drawn Wednesday as to whether or not FIFA president Sepp Blatter was under investigation.
"We are not able to comment further at this point," Lynch said at talks in Riga with her EU counterparts when asked if Blatter was under investigation.
"We will now be speaking through the courts," Lynch said ominously. "The investigation is ongoing."
Blatter's shock resignation on Tuesday has sparked speculation that the 79-year-old, reelected to a fifth term in office last week, was also under investigation over allegations of more than $150 million in bribes.
Lynch dealt a stinging blow to FIFA in announcing corruption indictments against 14 people including nine football officials.
Swiss authorities acting on these US indictments detained several FIFA leaders in a dawn raid in Zurich as top officials gathered at a super-luxury hotel for the FIFA congress.
If Lynch would not be drawn on Blatter she did, however, pour praise on the Swiss co-operation: "I would like to reiterate our thanks to the Swiss authorities who worked so well with us in co-ordinating the arrests," she said.
Interpol on Wednesday put disgraced FIFA former executive members Jack Warner and Nicolas Leoz on their most wanted list and issued an international alert.
Four heads of sports marketing companies have also been put on the list. All six are among the 14 wanted by US authorities.
Warner, a former FIFA vice president, is in Trinidad and Tobago. Leoz, an executive member, is reportedly under house arrest in his native Paraguay.
In parallel to the US inquiry, Swiss prosecutors are looking into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments to Russia and Qatar. Both countries said they are carrying on with their preparations.