Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber "has formally asked" FIFA to give investigators access to the email accounts of the global football organization's suspended General Secretary Jérôme Valcke, according to Mark Hosenball of REUTERS. A spokesperson for the office said in a statement, "The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has requested Fifa to get access to all email accounts of Jerome Valcke. These email accounts are under seal by Fifa so far. The OAG has not received access to J. Valcke's email accounts until today due to Fifa sealing them." Valcke, the second-in-command to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, was put on leave and "released from his duties" last Thursday after allegations he was involved in a plan to re-sell 2014 World Cup tickets at a big mark-up. A source close to FIFA said late on Wednesday in response to questions from Reuters that "it was never the organization's intent to withhold Valcke's emails from prosecutors and that it was likely they will be handed over to the Attorney General's office on Thursday" (REUTERS, 9/24). The AP reported Valcke "denies a ticket agent's claims that he sought cash from sales of top-category tickets for matches in Brazil he knew were being offered at several times face value." The case "is widening to examine all aspects of FIFA's affairs" after it was launched by FIFA's own criminal complaint last year about possible wrongdoing linked to the '18-22 World Cup bidding contests. Valcke "likely faces sanctions even if financial corruption is not proven" (AP, 9/23).
