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Charges against former FIFA partners
FIFA & UEFA - 09 March, 2007
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Marc von Dach, prosecutor for the Swiss canton (state) of Zug, has brought charges against unidentified individuals in connection with the 2001 demise of the ISL/ISMM group, FIFA's former marketing partner.
The charges include embezzlement, fraud, fraudulent bankruptcy, damaging creditors and falsification of documents.
Von Dach told the Associated Press that the indictment concerns only employees at ISL or its parent group ISMM, which had owned the television and marketing rights to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. The collapse left a major hole in the world football authority's finances.
No current or former FIFA officials were under investigation, said von Dach, who presented the court with a 228-page indictment on Feb. 19.
He would not say who, or how many people, was being charged, citing strict Swiss privacy laws.
He did say in a statement that criminal mishandling amounted to more than 100 million Swiss francs.
FIFA spokesman, Andreas Herren, said the Zurich-based body had full confidence in Zug's justice system and refused further comment.
A trial date has not been set and von Dach said the next step would be months of pretrial proceedings in which defense lawyers would have plenty of time to study the accusations. Zug authorities began its investigation in 2001 after FIFA filed a complaint against the company that specialized in TV and sponsorship deals.
In 2004, FIFA said it was no longer interested in pursuing a criminal complaint, but Zug investigating magistrate Thomas Hildbrand continued because his investigation covering five countries had found evidence of numerous financial crimes.
The Swiss weekly, SonntagsZeitung, said a 2005 police search of the offices of FIFA president Sepp Blatter and another senior official was connected to the ISL/ISMM investigation.
Last year, FIFA denied that Blatter was the subject of a private investigation by Swiss police.
Britain's Guardian newspaper reported last year that Hildbrand had accused Nicolas Leoz, president of South America's football federation, and a FIFA executive committee member, of receiving bribes from ISL/ISMM related to the acquisition of television rights.
The paper reported that according to the magistrate's report, the money was paid by an entity linked to ISMM, adding that Leoz denied any connection with the companies. ISL/ISMM, FIFA's marketing partner for almost two decades, went bankrupt in 2001, leaving an estimated debt of USD 300 million.
The company's collapse led to bitter conflicts between FIFA and UEFA, the governing body of European football, which accused Blatter of mishandling FIFA's marketing deals.
Blatter denied any wrongdoing and won re-election in 2002 despite bitter clashes with his former number two man, Michel Zen-Ruffinen, and UEFA chief Lennart Johannson.
The charges include embezzlement, fraud, fraudulent bankruptcy, damaging creditors and falsification of documents.
Von Dach told the Associated Press that the indictment concerns only employees at ISL or its parent group ISMM, which had owned the television and marketing rights to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. The collapse left a major hole in the world football authority's finances.
No current or former FIFA officials were under investigation, said von Dach, who presented the court with a 228-page indictment on Feb. 19.
He would not say who, or how many people, was being charged, citing strict Swiss privacy laws.
He did say in a statement that criminal mishandling amounted to more than 100 million Swiss francs.
FIFA spokesman, Andreas Herren, said the Zurich-based body had full confidence in Zug's justice system and refused further comment.
A trial date has not been set and von Dach said the next step would be months of pretrial proceedings in which defense lawyers would have plenty of time to study the accusations. Zug authorities began its investigation in 2001 after FIFA filed a complaint against the company that specialized in TV and sponsorship deals.
In 2004, FIFA said it was no longer interested in pursuing a criminal complaint, but Zug investigating magistrate Thomas Hildbrand continued because his investigation covering five countries had found evidence of numerous financial crimes.
The Swiss weekly, SonntagsZeitung, said a 2005 police search of the offices of FIFA president Sepp Blatter and another senior official was connected to the ISL/ISMM investigation.
Last year, FIFA denied that Blatter was the subject of a private investigation by Swiss police.
Britain's Guardian newspaper reported last year that Hildbrand had accused Nicolas Leoz, president of South America's football federation, and a FIFA executive committee member, of receiving bribes from ISL/ISMM related to the acquisition of television rights.
The paper reported that according to the magistrate's report, the money was paid by an entity linked to ISMM, adding that Leoz denied any connection with the companies. ISL/ISMM, FIFA's marketing partner for almost two decades, went bankrupt in 2001, leaving an estimated debt of USD 300 million.
The company's collapse led to bitter conflicts between FIFA and UEFA, the governing body of European football, which accused Blatter of mishandling FIFA's marketing deals.
Blatter denied any wrongdoing and won re-election in 2002 despite bitter clashes with his former number two man, Michel Zen-Ruffinen, and UEFA chief Lennart Johannson.
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