Switzerland finds 53 possible cases of FIFA money laundering

Peter Weber, The Week US's avatar
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Sepp Blatter
(Image credit: REUTERS/Ruben Sprich)

On Wednesday, Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber said that his investigation into "criminal mismanagement and money-laundering" at FIFA, soccer's world governing body, had uncovered 53 "suspicious bank relations" relating to FIFA's awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. He said he has not ruled out interviewing FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Secretary-General Jerome Valcke.

"We are facing a complex investigation with many international implications," and that "will take time," Lauber said, before trying out a soccer joke: "The world of soccer needs to be patient — by its nature, this investigation will take more than the legendary '90 minutes.'"

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Peter Weber, The Week US
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.