Michael E. Miller and Fred Barbash/Washington Post
14 world soccer figures, including officials of FIFA were indicted on 47 counts including bribery, money laundering, racketeering and fraud. Four of those accused, including two sports marketing companies, have already pleaded guilty and are likely to be cooperating.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announces an indictment against nine FIFAofficials and five corporate executives for racketeering, conspiracy and corruption. (Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP)
FIFA is the French abbreviation for the international Federation of Football Associations, the global governing body for soccer. U.S Attorney General Loretta Lynch claimed that bribery and corruption had dogged football’s world governing body at the highest levels for at least 24 years.
This is a combo of six file photos of the soccer officials involved in the US Justice Department of investigation into corruption at FIFA. (Photo: AP Photo/File)
Roceedings against unidentified individuals on suspicion of mismanagement and money laundering related to the awarding of rights to host the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But FIFA said those awards to Qatar and Russia would not be reconsidered. Corruption has long been rumored among FIFA officials but no charges have been brought up until now.
The soccer officials charged are Eduardo Li, Jeffrey Webb, Eugenio Figueredo, Jack Warner, Julio Rocha, Costas Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, Jose Maria Marin and Nicolas Leoz.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/27/top-fifa-officials-arrested-in-international-soccer-corruption-investigation-according-to-reports/
