FBI to investigate Russia, Qatar World Cup bids

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

The FBI's investigation of alleged corruption at FIFA includes scrutiny of how soccer's governing body awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 competition to Qatar, a U.S. law enforcement official said.

The review would be part of a probe that goes beyond the allegations of bribery in a U.S. indictment of FIFA officials announced a week ago, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

U.S. authorities said at the time they were investigating a $150 million bribery case while Swiss prosecutors announced their own criminal inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 bids.

Russia and Qatar have denied wrongdoing in the conduct of their bids. In the case of Qatar, there was some surprise that the tournament was awarded to a small desert country with no real soccer tradition and where daytime summer temperatures can top 40 degrees Celsius (104F).

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/03/us-soccer-fifa-idUSKBN0OI22P20150603?utm_source=twitter

[geek tragedy]

1. I predict that the contingent of folks who get their news from rt.com and Robert Parry

will eventually find themselves opposing this investigation.

[groundloop]

2. Russia I can accept hosting World Cup but Qatar is fishy as hell.

[oberliner]

8. Russia is pretty fishy too

In later reporting, the Times also unearthed that Putin may have bribed UEFA head Michel Platini to vote for his country’s bid with a rare Picasso painting, which was given to a Parliamentary council later as evidence for their own investigation.

Other reporting suggests that Putin was an integral figure in the Russian bid process, as he was during the bidding process for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and now as the tournament has come under some external threat, he has immediately moved to the defensive. Combine this with the West’s frosty relationship with Putin and Russia at present, and the mix is hardly surprising.

An MI6 investigation into the Russian bid also unearthed deep involvement from Chelsea owner and Chairman Roman Abramovich, and unearthed other alleged corrupt practices from the bid during a spying operation.

All of these allegations, should they prove to be credible, would be more than enough evidence to constitute a re-vote for the 2018 World Cup host. Whether the FBI investigation will unearth more, and whether they will actually be able to press charges against corrupt officials involved in these claims is another question entirely, since none of the bribery looks to have taken place in the US, using US currency, or had money transfers made through US banks, which would allow the Treasury, DOJ and FBI to investigate under US law.

Read more at http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/06/03/what-we-know-so-far-about-russias-alleged-bribes-to-win-2018-world-cup/#hWfLSQzWsOJIH6Mj.99

[SunSeeker]

3. The 2022 Cup should go to the UK, the country who invented the game.

Instead of Qatar that doesn't even have a team, and where the 130-degree heat prevents human beings from playing most of the year even if they had a team.

[meow2u3]

4. The 2018 Cup ought to go to Spain and Portugal

They would have gotten it if it weren't for the corruption IMO.

[jamzrockz]

5. Why stop there?

Investigate all the previous world cups. Could I suggest starting with USA 94? What business it is of the US, I will never know but the worlds police got to do what it does best i.e. police the world.

[newthinking]

6. I would just like to see the same energy applied to corporate banking...

[Nihil]

7. Gotta look forward don't you know?

No digging into past crimes these days (unless there is a tie to WWII) so all those
who have cashed in their bribes over past decades get off completely.

[geek tragedy]

9. They found bribes in the 1998 and 2010 World Cup

Bids as well.

Justice is justice.

[SwissTony]

10. I have only ONE thing to say to you bloody Americans...

THANK YOU!!!!

We football lovers have known for years that FIFA stank. Really stank. It should have been investigated probably 50 years ago. Havelange was no saint either.

So, thank you. And keep up the good work.

[GOLGO 13]

11. Your more than welcome. We're gonna break FIFA's legs over this tomfoolery

The only ones that can legit host right away are the Brits, the Aussies and us. The Russians and Quatar can go piss up a rope.