Swiss prosecutors "have opened a criminal investigation" into former German footballer Franz Beckenbauer and three others over Germany's bid for the 2006 World Cup, according to the BBC. As members of that cup's organizing committee, "they are suspected of fraud, criminal mismanagement, money laundering and misappropriation." Some of the alleged crimes "were carried out on Swiss territory." Beckenbauer, who headed the bid, "has previously denied corruption." After launching their own investigations, linked to those of FIFA, Swiss prosecutors "named four suspects on Thursday:"
- Beckenbauer: Former VP of the German FA (DFB), president of the 2006 World Cup local organizing committee and former member of the FIFA exec committee.
- Wolfgang Niersbach: Former president of the DFB, VP of the LOC and current member of the FIFA and UEFA exec committees.
- Theo Zwanziger: Former president of the DFB, VP of the LOC and former member of the FIFA and UEFA exec committees.
- Horst Rudolf Schmidt: Former secretary-general of the DFB and VP of the LOC (BBC, 9/1).
The PA reported Beckenbauer traveled the world to "gain support for Germany’s bid, which faced rival campaigns" from England, South Africa, Brazil and Morocco. Brazil "withdrew from the running days before the vote was held" in July '00. Germany beat South Africa by 12 to 11 in the final round of voting to secure the tournament, after Oceania delegate Charlie Dempsey, who was expected to vote for South Africa and has since died, "abstained at the last minute." The attorney general of Switzerland's statement added, "The investigations focus on the joint financing of a gala event, initially at the cost of €7m [£5.9m], later reduced to €6.7m. It is suspected that the suspects knew that this sum was not being used to fund the gala event, but instead to repay a debt that was not owed by the DFB" (
PA, 9/1).
