Swiss FIFA inquiry receives more ‘suspicious activity’ reports

Monday, 13 July 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Untitled-4 The logo of soccer's international governing body FIFA is seen on its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland - REUTERS

Reuters: Switzerland now has 81 reports of suspicious financial activity linked to FIFA’s decisions to let Russia and Qatar run the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, the Swiss attorney general’s office said on Sunday.

Swiss prosecutors investigating corruption at the Zurich-based global soccer body have received another 28 suspicious activity reports since mid-June, a spokesman for the attorney general said.

The Swiss criminal investigation focuses on the decisions on who would stage the World Cup. Both Russia and Qatar deny wrongdoing and say they are preparing to hold the tournaments on schedule.

Attorney General Michael Lauber said last month that Switzerland’s anti-money laundering agency had identified 53 suspicious transactions flagged up from information supplied by banks.

His office said that had now risen to 81 and it was “very pleased with analysis work done by the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland as it is of great support to the (Swiss) criminal proceedings,” the spokesman said by email.