SOCCER-FIFA/NEWS-COMMENT US and Swiss attorneys-general say FIFA investigation still active

Record ID: 139895

  • Title: SOCCER-FIFA/NEWS-COMMENT US and Swiss attorneys-general say FIFA investigation still active
  • Date: 14th September 2015
  • Summary: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 14, 2015) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE, US ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH AND SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL MICHAEL LAUBER SHAKING HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL MICHAEL LAUBER SAYING: "House searches have been conducted in Switzerland and further evidence has been collected. Where proportional and needed, financial assets have been seized, including real estate, for example flats in the Swiss Alps." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL MICHAEL LAUBER SAYING: "As of today, 121 different bank accounts have been brought to the attention our Task Force by the Swiss Financial Intelligence Unit, MROS. Banks in Switzerland are fulfilling their duties of the law by filing suspicious transaction reports to MROS." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL MICHAEL LAUBER SAYING: "Information from different sources has to be analyzed and processed. Let me remind you that we seized huge amounts of electronic data which comes to around 11 Terabytes so far - you may imagine what this means in terms of time and resource requirements for our ongoing criminal proceedings." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL MICHAEL LAUBER SAYING: "Let me however assure you, that we are well aware of the public's interest in this investigation and have clearly prioritized based on the interests at stake, but clearly: we are not even near the half-time break." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH SAYING: "What I can say is that, separate and apart from the pending indictment, our investigation remains active and ongoing, and has in fact expanded since May. As I made clear at our initial announcement, the scope of our investigation is not limited, and we are following the evidence where it leads." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH SAYING: "But 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. The problem of corruption in soccer is global, and we will remain vigilant in our efforts to support a global response." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL MICHAEL LAUBER, ASKED WHY HE MADE A REMARK ABOUT COOPERATION, SAYING: "It could be in question why we expect perhaps some other jurisdictions to ask for mutual legal assistance as it is a matter of fact that some executive committee members of FIFA and others do not live in Switzerland, so I can imagine that this fact could also lead other jurisdictions to think about what they could help and our common goal and fight against corruption, so that is why I made this remark." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH, ASKED ABOUT POSSIBLE NEW CHARGES, SAYING: "With respect to any new charges that we anticipate arising out of this ongoing and continuing investigation, we do anticipate bringing additional charges against individuals and entities. I am not able to give you a timetable at this time but I will certainly confirm that this is our intention." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH, ASKED IF SEPP BLATTER WAS SUBJECT OF INVESTIGATION, SAYING: "I am not going to comment at this time on individuals who may or may not be the subject of the next round of arrests and so I am not able therefore to give you information about Mr. Blatter's travel plans." WHITE FLASH SWISS ATTORNEY GENERAL MICHAEL LAUBER AND U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH AT NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 29th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3EL64WZ4RCQWDOJHRMA1PQ7K2
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: U.S. authorities say their investigations into corruption in world soccer are still active with "additional charges against individuals and entities" anticipated.
    At a joint news conference in Zurich on Monday (September 14) U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Switzerland's Attorney General Michael Lauber said their separate investigations into soccer's world governing body FIFA and attendant organisations were expanding, and they were working with other countries around the world.
    In May the U.S. indicted nine soccer officials and five sports marketing executives, charging them with racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud on suspicions they orchestrated multi-million dollar bribery schemes over 24 years.
    Lauber said houses had been searched, and banks had scrutinised account transactions during the search for corrupt dealings.
    "House searches have been conducted in Switzerland and further evidence has been collected. Where proportional and needed, financial assets have been seized, including real estate, for example flats in the Swiss Alps," he said, adding that 11 Terabytes of information had been gleaned from the searches and would have to be analysed.
    "Let me assure you, that we are well aware of the public's interest in this investigation," said Lauber, adding: "But clearly: we are not even near the half-time break."
    Lynch emphasised both countries were conducting their own investigations, but the U.S. investigation was still expanding.
    "What I can say is that, separate and apart from the pending indictment, our investigation remains active and ongoing, and has in fact expanded since May. As I made clear at our initial announcement, the scope of our investigation is not limited, and we are following the evidence where it leads," she said.
    Lynch said the investigation was drawing in information from around the world.
    "We have also begun coordinating closely with prosecutors and law enforcement officials from a number of other countries as well," she said. " I have been gratified to see that the response to this problem has not been limited to one country or even one continent. The problem of corruption in soccer is global, and we will remain vigilant in our efforts to support a global response."
    "With respect to any new charges that we anticipate arising out of this ongoing and continuing investigation," she said, "We do anticipate bringing additional charges against individuals and entities. I am not able to give you a timetable at this time but I will certainly confirm that this is our intention."
    She was asked if FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has indicated he will step aside in February of next year, was under investigation, she declined to comment on that or any extradition proceedings.
    "I am not going to comment at this time on individuals who may or may not be the subject of the next round of arrests and so I am not able therefore to give you information about Mr. Blatter's travel plans," she said.
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