BY TIM PARSONS
Swiss investigators are looking into 53 possible cases of money laundering and 104 incidents of suspicious activity in Swiss bank accounts as part of their investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He stated that all relevant persons would be interviewed to get to the bottom of their investigation which is running parallel with the FBI investigation into the mass corruption that has plunged fifa into an unprecedented crisis.
It has been re-iterated that once evidence of bribery is fully substantiated, the respective awards to Russia and Quatar to host the world cup in 2018 and 2022 will be reviewed. It is the first time in the history of the world cup that a decision to award a nation the right to host the world’s famous tournament may be reviewed because of fraudulent practices. Swiss Attorney general, Michael Lawber told a press conference:
“I am well aware of the enormous public interest in our investigation. Equally enormous is the public interest in an independent criminal procedure,” Lauber said. “Our investigation is of great complexity and quite substantial. To give you an example: The SAG [Swiss attorney general’s office] has seized around nine terabytes of data. So far, our investigative team has obtained evidence concerning 104 banking relations; be aware that every banking relation represents several bank accounts.”
Lauber added that Swiss banks had fulfilled their obligations to report suspicious banking activity and that the Swiss investigation had not been instigated as a result of the FBI investigation. England and The U.S, who were among the bidders to host the prestigious sporting competition, may yet get another bite at the cherry once a re-vote to select hosts for the competition is ordered. That order will surely take place since there is no way the ”world cup of fraud’ which has now been uncovered and exposed cannot possibly be allowed to continue.
Last month, Swiss prosecutors commenced separate criminal proceedings “against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering” in connection with the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Mr Lauber added that the investigation was “huge and complex on many levels” and would take a long time.
“So far our investigative team obtained evidence concerning 104 banking relations (relationships between banks and clients). And, be aware that every banking relation represents several bank accounts,” Mr Lauber said.
“We note positively that banks in Switzerland did fulfil their duties to file suspicious activity reports. Partly in addition to the 104 banking relations already known to the authorities, banks announced 53 suspicious banking relations via the anti-money-laundering framework of Switzerland.”
The Swiss investigation is separate from the one currently being conducted by the FB,I and documents and data would not be shared automatically with the US.
Lauber added: “The world of football needs to be patient. By its nature, this investigation will take more than the legendary 90 minutes.
A contentious investigation summary written by German Judge, Joachim Eckert which threw the success of Quatar and Russia’s bid into question had previously ruled that there was insufficient evidence to strip the respective countries of the right to host the prestigious football tournament. However, Russia’s claim to have lost all its emails and returned its rented computers, raises further doubts and complications surrounding the legitimacy of their position. It is only inevitable that in the fullness of time they will be stripped and another country re-elected in their place. The stench will be too much to bare if they held unto the award to host the world cup amid the appalling levels of corruption that have been unearthed,
