Swiss Investigation Reveals Possible Money Laundering Around World Cups

(ATR) An investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup shows 28 possible counts of money laundering by FIFA.

In the same investigation, the Associated Press reports that a total of 81 counts of "suspicious activity reports" between FIFA executives and Swiss banks have been found. That number is up from the 53 counts reported in June by Switzerland Attorney General Michael Lauber.

Swiss authorities have been investigating the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar since May. Swiss authorities have been investigating the two World Cups ever since FIFA handed over the Michael Garcia report in November 2014.

Garcia's report detailed possible corruption over the awarding of the World Cups to Russia and Qatar. However, the report but was quickly dismissed by FIFA.

In June, Lauber described the investigation as a "huge and complex case," and could expand beyond the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, depending on what the Swiss government uncovers.

Webb Extradition In Motion

By the end of this weekJeffrey Webb, the former head of North American football,could be in the custody of U.S. law enforcement officials.

On July 9, Webb agreed to be be extradited to the U.S. where he is facing charges of corruption stemming from when he served as president of CONCACAF. When news of the extradition was first surfaced on July 10, it was reported thatthe Webb extradition would occur "in the next 10 days."

Webb was arrested in Switzerland on May 27 along with seven high-ranking FIFA officials as part of a United States Department of Justice investigation into corruption at FIFA. He has been in Swiss custody ever since, as the United States worked with Switzerland on an extradition agreement.

"In a first hearing conducted by the Zurich Cantonal Police immediately after his arrest, the person concerned had contested his extradition to the U.S.A.," Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice said in a statement.

"The FOJ therefore asked the U.S.A. to submit a formal extradition request, which it did on 1 July 2015."

Webb was the president of CONCACAF and a FIFA Vice President at the time of his arrest. He was in charge of CONCACAF from 2013 until 2015, and was provisionally banned as a FIFA vice president ahead of the organization's Congress in May.

Webb was indicted as part of a larger racket that used sports marketing firms to secure bribes to leaders of CONCACAF and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) in exchange for the rights market each confederation’s continental tournaments.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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