Swiss authorities looking into FIFA cash for World Cup votes scandal

LONDON - Swiss authorities looking into a FIFA cash for World Cup votes scandal, and according to sources, the inquiry could possibly lead to criminal charges.

According to The Guardian, six senior FIFA officials, including an executive-committee member and a vice-president, were last week suspended from all football activities for a total of 16 years after they were found guilty of corruption offences under the FIFA code of ethics.

The director of Switzerland’s Federal Office for Sport, Matthias Remund, wants to ensure that no Swiss laws have been broken.

Remund said the case would be analysed to determine “to what extent we have applicable law in Switzerland, in order to be able to pursue offences which are relevant from a criminal justice point of view or which offend competition law”.

The paper reveals that the case is complicated, since under Swiss law, non-profit bodies cannot be pursued through anti-corruption laws, which apply only to commercial organisations.

Remund said: “Private corruption in that [legal] sense does not exist in Switzerland. And in particular sporting associations and clubs without economic/commercial purpose are excluded from that purpose.”

Whether or not the Swiss authorities pursue a criminal case, FIFA’s exemption from anti-corruption legislation appears short-lived.

Switzerland’s sports minister, Uli Maurer, said: “It’s clear that Switzerland is obliged to do something to fight corruption as we have lots of international federations with headquarters in Switzerland and we want to set an example in solving this problem.” (ANI)