FIFA corruption probe

[Mr Hat and Clogs]

FIFA corruption probe

Swiss police arrested some of the most powerful figures in global football during a raid on a Zurich hotel on Wednesday, announcing a criminal investigation into the awarding of the next two World Cups and plunging the world's most popular sport into turmoil.

Kinda glad to see this, it's been an almost public joke/secret that FIFA (and the IOC, hope they're next ) are corrupt as all shit. The fact that Qatar won the world cup while not having a team, and only one soccer stadium over countries that have both, and multiples of the second was pretty face palm worthy.

The line up is kind of hilarious to look at as well with all these old rich guys.

[Irenicus]

The Guardian has essentially the most comprehensive coverage on the internet. Though, to its credit, the New York Times broke the story and continues provide the strongest US-focused viewpoint. Which makes sense, as Loretta Lynch, the U.S. Attorney General, was apparently working on this case for some time when she was still the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Taking down MAFIFA is one hell of a start for an AG career. It's not some tentative probe either. It's timed precisely right before FIFA's presidential election, and they pulled out the big guns -- indictments on racketeering charges using anti-mafia laws against executive figures -- and they are not holding back on the rhetoric. The Feds don't commit to this kind of gesture if they're not certain they really have it down. Although I have no doubt Ms. Lynch and her colleagues -- within the U.S. agencies and internationally (with the Swiss so far) -- are acting entirely to defend the integrity of the law, this has powerful foreign policy implications. The Americans took down the core of CONCACAF (North/Central America), and the Swiss separately opened an inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup selections. Russia is going to squeal and Qatar, ostentibly an American ally, is going to feel the heat even more (heh).

This is a full scale offensive. Lawyer equivalent of shock and awe. Someone's going to sing and it could get to "Darth" Blatter himself real quick.

If we're lucky this also means Qatar 2022 is blown to pieces and people can stop dying to build the blood stadiums over there (they'll still die building skyscrapers for the Gulf Arab slavers, but that aside...).

[Mr Hat and Clogs]

Yeah haven't a couple thousand died already or something crazy?

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by Mr Hat and Clogs

Yeah haven't a couple thousand died already or something crazy?

The widely circulated numbers indicate something along the lines of expected 4,000+ deaths, with over 1,000 already. That being said, this is a Qatar-wide number, not World Cup specific. That is of course no justification. -No one- should die.

[ganbaru]

Pressure mounts on Blatter as FIFA scandal widens
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0OC0B020150528

Blatter did, however, receive endorsement from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who accused the United States of meddling outside its jurisdiction by arresting FIFA officials.

"This is yet another blatant attempt to extend its jurisdiction to other states," Putin said, adding the arrests were a "clear attempt" to prevent Blatter's re-election and he had Russia's backing.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

The widely circulated numbers indicate something along the lines of expected 4,000+ deaths, with over 1,000 already. That being said, this is a Qatar-wide number, not World Cup specific. That is of course no justification. -No one- should die.

At least they have a job to send money back. They just didn't get better places like Malaysia or Singapore. Kind of ironic that they come from places where people would die for a job and they literally did.

Come to think of it, why are both FIFA and IOC French-based organisations?

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

At least they have a job to send money back. They just didn't get better places like Malaysia or Singapore. Kind of ironic that they come from places where people would die for a job and they literally did.

Come to think of it, why are both FIFA and IOC French-based organisations?

Because they were both founded by Frenchmen

[MrTerrorist]

If the current Fifa President is a smart man, he should either resign or postpone the election since continuing is not doing him any favors due to the Oatar corruption scandal and how workers have died there.

[Sheba]

French press back in the day have given a fair amount of flak over the Qatar winning the bid for 2022. The decision just didn't make sense back then, and it still dont now.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Because they were both founded by Frenchmen

Why has it to be the French who founded them?

[SuitUp]

I don't know how the US case is gonna be handled, but ain't Switzerland a tax shelter a la Cayman Islands? It makes me kind of skceptical as to how far they are willing to go, given that all these crimes commited are white collar ones (money laundering, bribes)
Also, Blatter is not gonna resign, guy has been in power since making a move on '98 and there are exactly two ways for him to leave FIFA: in handcuffs or in a wooden box, that's just how it is for semi-"dictators" if you allow me to use the term

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

If the current Fifa President is a smart man, he should either resign or postpone the election since continuing is not doing him any favors due to the Oatar corruption scandal and how workers have died there.

Nope, he would need to continue on now while the juicer bits have not come out to damage his bid more, then he still has a chance to get into power again to suppress them.

[KiraYamatoFan]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32911702

Seriously, why don't you just fuck off somewhere else, Putin?

Your Sochi Olympics were an embarrassment, and so this World Cup will be. If it was for me, both both Russia and Qatar should be stripped of their World Cups and disqualified from making any further bid.

[SaintessHeart]

Corruption allegations unlikely to rattle the financial powerhouse that governs football

They can put their money elsewhere right?

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Why has it to be the French who founded them?

FIFA: Because the English didn't. They thought they could rule football from the British Isles. The continental Europeans disagreed.

Olympics: a Frenchman invented its modern incarnation.

Originally Posted by SuitUp

I don't know how the US case is gonna be handled, but ain't Switzerland a tax shelter a la Cayman Islands? It makes me kind of skceptical as to how far they are willing to go, given that all these crimes commited are white collar ones (money laundering, bribes)

Switzerland has been strong-armed by US financial regulators into properly joining the global financial system. That was one of the consequences of the 2008 crisis, which saw general tightening of regulations across the board led by the American regulatory authorities.

It was a controversy for a while. Many thought the US dramatically overreached since they essentially put a gun on the heads of European bankers and told them to play ball or lose it all. I would sympathize, but I'm sure the old rich men whose Swiss bank accounts are no longer safe will be fine crying into the underdeveloped bosoms of enslaved kidnapped trafficked underage Eastern European girls.

So legally, they are no longer anywhere near a tax haven they used to be. The prosecutors' zeal does remain an open question, as you noted.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Strange how no one here questions the precedent set by America sticking its nose into judicial affairs in other nations to enforce its own laws


Qatar's blood stadiums and Rio's blood-drenched Olympics aside, this is a question of the US hitting what it doesn't like in places outside its jurisdiction

[Mr Hat and Clogs]

I asked that on Facebook. These guys should be held accountable by more than just America. But I guess by this stage people are getting used to America sticking its nose into other countries to enforce their laws.

[Cosmic Eagle]

With TPP coming? Consider me a concerned Asian....


If you ask me, it should be the EU who handles this seeing how the crimes were committed by Europeans

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

Strange how no one here questions the precedent set by America sticking its nose into judicial affairs in other nations to enforce its own laws


Qatar's blood stadiums and Rio's blood-drenched Olympics aside, this is a question of the US hitting what it doesn't like in places outside its jurisdiction

Nope. The US indictments targeted people who used US institutions for their criminal activities. It's entirely within US jurisdiction, as would be the case with literally any other half-civilized country. Plus, CONCACAF is Miami-based.

The global probe on the World Cups happen under Swiss jurisdiction, with a concurrent investigation.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

but I'm sure the old rich men whose Swiss bank accounts are no longer safe will be fine crying into the underdeveloped bosoms of enslaved kidnapped trafficked underage Eastern European girls.

I don't see anything wrong with that-*IS SHOT*.

So legally, they are no longer anywhere near a tax haven they used to be. The prosecutors' zeal does remain an open question, as you noted.

From a political POV, I think US is doing an image check. Attack FIFA's corruption wilk boost their reputation in the long run.