Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber said on Sunday that Switzerland now has 81 reports of "suspicious financial activity linked to FIFA's decisions to let Russia and Qatar run the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments," according to Joshua Franklin of REUTERS. Swiss prosecutors investigating corruption at FIFA have received "another 28 suspicious activity reports since mid-June." A spokesperson for Lauber's office said in an email that it was "very pleased with analysis work done by the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland as it is of great support to the (Swiss) criminal proceedings" (REUTERS, 7/12). The AFP reported Swiss justice authorities have received "new instances of alleged money laundering almost on a daily basis." Swiss Attorney General spokesperson Andre Marty said, "I do confirm that OAG (office of the attorney general) received as of
today 81 suspicious activity reports trough the Money Laundering
Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS)." Marty, though, did not "give details nor the amounts of accounts already frozen by the department" with relation to this affair (AFP, 7/12).
WEBB AGREES TO EXTRADITION: REUTERS' Raymond & Shields reported a "source familiar with the matter" said that suspended CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb, one
of seven current and former officials of FIFA arrested in Switzerland in May, "has agreed to be extradited" to the
U.S. to face corruption charges. The
Swiss Federal Office of Justice said earlier on Friday that
"one of those detained had agreed not to fight extradition but it did not
identify the official." The
source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that
Webb was the "official concerned." A U.S. lawyer for Webb "declined to comment" (REUTERS, 7/10).
SHEIKHA MOZA HITS OUT: ARABIAN BUSINESS reported Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al Missned, the mother of the current Emir of Qatar, has hit out at what she sees as the "hypocrisy" of some western media and at those with "a certain agenda" against the Gulf state and its successful bid to host the World Cup in '22. In relation to "criticism over Qatar's winning bid" to host the World Cup in '22 and "the spotlight placed on workers' rights in Qatar,
she said this was part of a campaign" by western media and interests. She said, "Why were we all of a sudden under the spotlight? We understand that
this has been done according to a certain agenda" (ARABIAN BUSINESS, 7/12).
