Multiple FIFA officials were arrested at a hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, on Wednesday and will be extradited to the US to face charges of corruption, The New York Times reports.
The officials were in Zurich for their annual meeting. FIFA was expected to re-elect Sepp Blatter as president for a fifth term at the meeting, but this shake-up may change that. Blatter was not at the hotel and is not expected to be arrested, according to the NY Daily News. Recent reports have said he will not set foot in the US for fear of being arrested.
FIFA is the international organization that oversees soccer, the most popular sport in the world. It is an organization that has been accused of corruption for years, including officials and voters accepting bribes and kickbacks concerning events such as the World Cup.
The Times says the officials will face charges of “include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.”
“We’re struck by just how long this went on for and how it touched nearly every part of what FIFA did,” a law enforcement official told The Times. “It just seemed to permeate every element of the federation and was just their way of doing business. It seems like this corruption was institutionalized.”
In charging the officials, he US Justice Department is using the same authority it employs when bringing cases against international terrorists. All the law requires is a loose connection to the US, such as the use of US banks or ISPs.
FIFA has averaged nearly $1.5 billion in revenue each of the past four years. There is a lack of transparency within the organization and accusations of widespread corruption described as “institutionalized.”
Below are a few photos of the roundup:
Swiss law enforcement getting room numbers for FIFA execs they are heading upstairs to arrest pic.twitter.com/F69djqpcu5
— Michael S. Schmidt (@MichaelSSchmidt) May 27, 2015
BREAKING: Authorities arrest top #FIFA officials at #Zurich hotel to extradite them to the US on #corruption charges pic.twitter.com/vCjuJF8DJ9
— Auskar Surbakti (@AuskarSurbakti) May 27, 2015
Picture of plainclothes Swiss police showing documents to FIFA hotel clerk: pic.twitter.com/LVV8Ai9hxt
— Sam Borden (@SamBorden) May 27, 2015
