Swiss identify suspicious bank acts at Fifa

Swiss prosecutors investigating corruption at Fifa have identified 53 suspicious bank transactions, the attorney general said, stressing that a complex investigation may take a long time to unfold.

The authorities have said their criminal investigation specifically targets the decisions to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Russia and Qatar. Both countries deny wrongdoing and say they are preparing to hold the tournaments on schedule.

Michael Lauber told journalists he would not rule out interviewing Fifa president Sepp Blatter and general secretary Jerome Valcke, although Switzerland had so far targeted no individuals in the scandal that has rocked international soccer.

“We are faced with a complex investigation with many international implications,” he said in his first public comments since his office seized Fifa computer data last month.

“It would not be professional to communicate at this moment a detailed timetable. The world of football needs to be patient. By its nature, this investigation will take more than the legendary 90 minutes.”

Meanwhile, Switzerland’s third largest listed bank, Julius Baer, said it had launched its own internal investigation in connection with Fifa. It said it was co-operating with the authorities and did not say when the internal probe had begun.

The attorney general was clear that Blatter and Valcke could be among those summoned for questioning: “There will be formal interviews of all relevant people. By definition, this does not exclude interviewing the president of Fifa and this does not exclude interviewing the secretary general of Fifa.”

Lauber said his team had obtained evidence on 104 relationships between banks and clients, each of which represents several accounts. Switzerland’s Financial Intelligence Unit anti-money-laundering agency had identified the 53 suspicious transactions flagged up from information supplied by banks.

Switzerland, where Fifa is based, announced its criminal investigation and seized computers at Fifa headquarters last month on the same day the US shook the sport with the announcement of indictments of 14 soccer officials and businessmen.

Two days later, Blatter was re-elected to a fifth term, only to announce the following week that he would step down.

Asked if the Swiss investigation could derail Russia’s plans, Lauber said that decision was not his problem.

Lauber said his work was completely independent of the ongoing US cases. While Switzerland had received and fulfilled a request for legal assistance from the US, it had not asked for any such help in return, he added.