FIFA President Sepp
Blatter (L) makes a symbolic handshake with FIFA general secretary
Jerome Valcke during the 65th FIFA Congress in Zurich on May 29, 2015.
(Michael Buholzer/AFP/Getty Images)
Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke, and Markus Kattner, top
officials of the international governing body of soccer, FIFA, awarded
themselves $8 million over their last five years in office, it was
revealed on June 3.
FIFA has been under fire since May 2015 after U.S. investigators exposed widespread corruption within the organization.
The contracted payments seem to break Swiss law.
Evidence shows Blatter received a $12 million bonus after the 2014
Brazil World Cup, and was also due another 12 million Swiss francs ($12
million) for his 2015–2019 presidential term. The secret bonuses were
much more than the former president’s base salary—3 million Swiss francs
($3 million) in 2015—which was published by FIFA in March.
Meanwhile, Valcke got a $2 million salary in 2015, as well as a $10
million bonus for the 2014 World Cup. He was due $11 million from the
2018 games in Russia.
More Evidence Turning Up
Three weeks after the newly-elected FIFA President Gianni Infantino
claimed that “the crisis is over,” the turmoil within organization
continues.
Evidence will be given to the U.S. Department of Justice and Swiss
federal prosecutors who are looking into the case, lawyers for FIFA
said. The Justice Department declined to comment on the matter.
“The evidence appears to reveal a coordinated effort by three former
top officials of FIFA to enrich themselves through annual salary
increases, World Cup bonuses, and other incentives totaling more than 79
million Swiss francs—in just the last five years,” said Bill Burck of
Quinn Emanuel, the U.S. law firm retained by FIFA amid its corruption
scandal.
Additionally, FIFA stated it will refer the matter of these contracts and payments to the Ethics Committee for its review.
FIFA
President Joseph S. Blatter stands next to the World Cup trophy during
the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina
at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Jamie
Squire/Getty Images)
The details of the contracts of the organization’s former president
Blatter, fired former secretary general Valcke, and ousted finance
director Kattner were revealed by FIFA just a day after a raid that
attempted to seize evidence for the Swiss investigation.
The office of Kattner, who was fired last week, was also raided.
Michael Lauber, the Swiss attorney general, launched criminal
proceedings against Blatter last September and against Valcke in March.
Blatter and Valcke are accused of criminally mismanaging FIFA money,
and have been banned from the organization for six and 12 years by
FIFA’s ethics committee.
Both former top officials have denied any wrongdoing.
A
photo taken on February 26, 2016 shows new FIFA president Gianni
Infantino (L) receives a bouquet of flowers from acting FIFA secretary
general Markus Kattner after winning the FIFA presidential election
during the extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zurich. (Favrice
Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
No additional criminal proceedings have been launched against recently fired official, Kattner.
Battling Corruption
A year before the secret bonuses were revealed, the Justice
Department announced nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives
were indicted for racketeering conspiracy and corruption.
“As charged in the indictment, the defendants fostered a culture of
corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the
biggest sport in the world,” said FBI Director James Comey at the time.
“Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks, and bribes became a way of doing business at FIFA,” he added.
Attorney
General Loretta Lynch speaks at a packed news conference at the U.S.
Attorneys Office of the Eastern District of New York following the early
morning arrest of world soccer figures, including officials of FIFA,
for racketeering, bribery, money laundering and fraud on May 27, 2015 in
New York City. The Justice Department unsealed a 47 count indictment
early Wednesday charging 14 world soccer figures. (Photo by Spencer
Platt/Getty Images)
“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and
deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” said Attorney
General Lynch in May of last year.
“It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as
alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of
dollars in bribes and kickbacks,” she added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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