ZURICH
— Latest developments following the launching of criminal proceedings
against FIFA officials in separate U.S. and Swiss corruption probes.
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1131 a.m.
FIFA
spokesman Walter de Gregorio told a hastily convened news conference in
Zurich that FIFA's presidential election will take place as planned on
Friday. Sepp Blatter is running for a fifth term. De Gregorio also ruled
out any revote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups won by Russia and
Qatar.
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1130 a.m.
Swiss
federal prosecutors have opened criminal proceedings related to the
awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, throwing FIFA deeper into
crisis only hours after six soccer officials were arrested in a separate
U.S. corruption probe.
The
Swiss prosecutors' office said in a statement they seized "electronic
data and documents" at FIFA's headquarters on Wednesday as part of their
probe. And Swiss police said they will question 10 FIFA executive
committee members who took part in the World Cup votes in December 2010.
The
Swiss investigation against "persons unknown on suspicion of criminal
mismanagement and of money laundering" again throws into the doubt the
integrity of the voting to award Russia the 2018 World Cup and the 2022
tournament to Qatar.
The
announcement came only hours after six soccer officials were arrested
and detained by Swiss police pending extradition at the request of U.S.
authorities after a raid at a luxury hotel in Zurich. FIFA President
Sepp Blatter was not among them.
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