The U.S. prosecutor who rocked world soccer in May by implicating FIFA officials with bribery and corruption charges on Monday said Monday that the investigation has widened and additional charges against others are expected.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in remarks made during a visit to Zurich, Switzerland that the “investigation remains active and ongoing, and has in fact expanded since May.”
Based on cooperation with the initial investigation and new evidence uncovered, she said, “we anticipate pursuing additional charges against individuals and entities.”
In May, the Justice Department indicted 14 soccer and marketing officials and unsealed six guilty pleas in a $150 million bribery and racketeering conspiracy. Longtime FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced soon after the charges were filed that he would be stepping down as head of the global soccer organization when his current term ends.
Monday’s remarks came as part of a press conference Lynch held with Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.
According to the prior indictments, FIFA officials ran a 24-year bribery and corruption scheme that made more than $150 million from the process of deciding what countries would host some of the world’s biggest sporting events and which companies would get lucrative broadcasting and marketing rights.
Lynch praised Swiss officials for their cooperation in the investigation, but noted that “we have also begun coordinating closely with prosecutors and law enforcement officials from a number of other countries as well.”
“I have been gratified to see that the response to this problem has not been limited to one country or even one continent,” Lynch said.
The Associated Press reported Monday that Swiss federal agencies have now seized properties in the Swiss Alps and more evidence during house searches in western Switzerland.
“Investment in real estate can be used for the purpose of money laundering,” said Lauber, whose case seems to lead beyond its original focus of FIFA’s criminal complaint about the bidding contests for the right to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, the game’s crown jewel.
A total of 121 different bank accounts have been reported as suspicious by a Swiss financial intelligence unit to Lauber’s team of prosecutors, he said.
The two lawyers spoke while attending an annual conference of federal prosecutors. Lynch did not comment Monday on whether Blatter is targeted in her case, or if he faced arrest by traveling to a country which has an extradition treaty with the United States.
“I can’t give you any information about Mr. Blatter’s travel plans,” said Lynch, smiling and drawing laughs from a room packed with around 150 journalists in a Zurich hotel, the AP reported.
The Swiss case could spread beyond the World Cup bids won by Russia and Qatar as prosecutors sift through massive amounts of data and documents seized from FIFA headquarters in May and June.
Much of FIFA’s contracts and finances during Blatter’s 17-year presidency now seem open to investigation.
⦁ This article was based in part on wire service reports.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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