53 possible cases of money laundering in FIFA

Banks in Switzerland have reported 53 possible acts of money laundering in the investigation of bidding contests for the FIFA World Cups of 2018 and 2022 to be held in Russia and Qatar respectively.

Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber confirmed suspicious bank relations which were filed to comply with Switzerland’s regulations against money laundering. The federal prosecutor talked about a “huge and complex” case which targeted “criminal mismanagement and money laundering” in the bidding process which sent the Football Carnival to Russia and Qatar.

Lauber confirmed that either country should be prepared of being stripped off the hosting rights if the new evidence proves of any sort of wrongdoing. He said : “I don’t mind if this has some collateral (damage) somewhere else.” He also confirmed that he does not exclude ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter and secretary-general Jerome Valcke from the investigation.

Lauber wasn’t drawn into whether the South African case of bribing FIFA to win the bid for 2010 World Cup  was also in the scope of the investigation. “This is a dynamic process,” Lauber said. “It could really go everywhere and that is why I don’t want to tell you which direction I put my focus.”