The Swiss Federal Office of Justice announced that two leading FIFA officials have been arrested in another pre-dawn raid of the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich on suspicion "of accepting bribes of millions of dollars," according to Alan Evans of the London GUARDIAN. The luxury hotel favored by FIFA officials "was raided for the second time this year," with FIFA VPs Alfredo Hawit of Honduras and Juan Ángel Napout of Paraguay detained on orders issued by the FOJ on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice. Switzerland’s federal office of justice said that the two officials being held in custody pending extradition are suspected of accepting bribes "in return for selling marketing rights in connection with football tournaments in Latin America, as well as World Cup qualifying matches." The statement added that both men "are opposing their extradition to the USA" (GUARDIAN, 12/3). In N.Y., Ruiz, Apuzzo & Borden wrote U.S. officials unsealed a 236-page indictment on Thursday that described charges against some of the most powerful leaders of int'l football. The new charges hit South and Central American football leaders "particularly hard." The unsealed indictment "lists the 16 new defendants: Alfredo Hawit; Ariel Alvarado; Rafael Callejas; Brayan Jiménez; Rafael Salguero; Héctor Trujillo; Reynaldo Vasquez; Juan Ángel Napout; Manuel Burga; Carlos Chávez; Luís Chiriboga; Marco Polo del Nero; Eduardo Deluca; José Luis Meiszner; Romer Osuna; Ricardo Teixeira." Callejas "is the former president of Honduras" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/3).
WAKE-UP CALL: The LONDON TIMES reported Swiss police are said to have entered the Baur au Lac at 6am local time with staff telling visitors in the lobby that they had to leave because of "an extreme situation." The arrests come as members of FIFA’s exec committee "gather in Zurich to approve reforms in response to corruption investigations which forced Blatter to announce his resignation plans in June." FIFA said in a statement, "Fifa became aware of the actions taken today by the US Department of Justice. Fifa will continue to co-operate fully with the US investigation as permitted by Swiss law, as well as with the investigation being led by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General" (LONDON TIMES, 12/3). The BBC reported Hawit, 64, "is interim president for North, Central America and Caribbean football, while Napout, 57, oversees football in the South American confederation." The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said that they "have taken money for selling marketing rights in connection with football tournaments in Latin America, as well as World Cup qualifying matches." FIFA Reform Committee Chair François Carrard said the arrests were "a very important step" as part of changes "so Fifa can renew itself" (BBC, 12/3). In a separate piece, Ruiz, Apuzzo & Borden wrote the full roster of people charged Thursday morning "was not immediately clear." Law enforcement officials said the list did not include FIFA President Sepp Blatter or suspended FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. U.S. authorities "have long predicted more charges in the case, but the number of people involved -- nearly as many as were charged in May -- was not expected" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/3).
MEDIA WORLD SEARCHED: REUTERS' Gruber, Rosenberg & Ingram wrote FBI agents "are searching the Miami office of Media World, an affiliate of Spanish media giant Imagina Group," as U.S. authorities prepare to disclose a second wave of charges tied to the business of football. Media World "was one of the unidentified sports marketing companies identified in a U.S. indictment in May" as having agreed to pay a bribe to a high-ranking football official in the Americas. FBI agents entered the Media World office and FBI vehicles were seen outside the building. The front entrance "had been cordoned off with police tape" (REUTERS, 12/3).
'NOT CORRUPT': In London, Owen Gibson wrote acting FIFA President Issa Hayatou insisted that neither he nor the organization is corrupt, "despite a fresh wave of arrests of senior officials." Appearing for the first time before the media since taking the role in September when Sepp Blatter was suspended by the FIFA ethics committee, Hayatou argued that FIFA’s current crisis "was down a handful of errant individuals." He said, "FIFA is not corrupt. We have individuals that have shown negative behavior. Do not generalize the situation. There are lots of people in FIFA for more than 20 or 30 years that have not been accused of anything" (GUARDIAN, 12/3).
