US and Swiss federal prosecutors to give update on FIFA cases
GENEVA --
Federal prosecutors leading investigations of corruption in international football are to hold a joint news conference in FIFA's home city.
On Sept. 14 in Zurich, U.S. attorney general Loretta Lynch and her counterpart from Switzerland, Michael Lauber, will give updates on their cases, Lauber's office said Tuesday.
The news conference will explain the ''status of the two criminal proceedings,'' Swiss officials said in a statement
Lynch is scheduled to visit Zurich for an annual conference of federal prosecutors which is being hosted this year hosted by Lauber's department.
Her American case alleges widespread bribery, fraud, money laundering and racketeering in the award of hosting and broadcasting rights for the World Cup and other international tournaments.
FIFA was rocked on May 27 when Swiss federal police arrested seven officials, including FIFA vice presidents from the CONCACAF and CONMEBOL regions, in a dawn raid at a luxury hotel in Zurich at the request of American authorities.
They were among 14 football and marketing officials named in a U.S. indictment unsealed that day. Four more men - including Chuck Blazer, the most senior American in world football for 16 years until 2013 - had their guilty pleas unsealed.
The Swiss case focuses on possible money laundering during the bidding contests for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, won by Russia and Qatar, respectively.
FIFA headquarters were raided on May 27 and massive amounts of data later seized for the Swiss case, which is expected to follow leads to other areas of FIFA finance and business implicating senior football officials.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter is not implicated in either case though is a potential target in both, Lauber and American officials have previously confirmed.
Blatter is set to leave office next February after almost 18 years. He announced his resignation plans on June 2, under pressure from the corruption cases.
Lynch and Lauber will also share a stage earlier on Sept. 14 , on the opening session of the four-day International Association of Prosecutors event.
Lauber will host a session with Lynch and federal prosecutors from Britain, France and Russia titled ''International Cooperation (white collar crime, money laundering and corruption).''
Their news conference will take place at the same hotel which hosted CONCACAF and CONMEBOL delegates in May during the week-long FIFA congress which elected Blatter two days after the raids.
