Swiss prosecutors confirm 25 investigations linked to FIFA

By AP
Published

BERN, Switzerland (AP) The office of Switzerland's attorney general says it is leading 25 separate investigations of suspected corruption linked to FIFA and World Cup bidding.

The office of Michael Lauber confirmed the scale of ''football-related cases'' after securing a first conviction since its FIFA probes began in 2014.

Cases were not specified, but criminal proceedings are open against former FIFA officials Sepp Blatter and Jerome Valcke, and some 2006 World Cup organizers, including Franz Beckenbauer.

Swiss and American prosecutors worked together on a guilty plea this week from Jorge Arzuaga, a former employee of Swiss private banks from Argentina. Arzuaga admitted conspiring with former FIFA finance chairman Julio Grondona and others in a money-laundering conspiracy linked to bribes.

Lauber's office says Arzuaga forfeited $650,000 in ''unlawfully obtained'' bonuses to the Swiss treasury.