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ZURICH – Fifa president Sepp Blatter expressed shock at the tactics used by the US anti-corruption investigators but insisted he was not a target.
Several members of Fifa’s executive committee have already been questioned by the Swiss justice, and president Blatter could also be quizzed “in the future if needed”, a spokesman for the Swiss public prosecutor said yesterday.
“The OAG (Office of the Attorney General) is questioning those Fifa Executive Committee members who are not Swiss residents who voted back in 2010 (when the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were awarded to Russia and Qatar) and are still in office,” spokesman Andre Marty said.
“The President of Fifa will not be questioned at this point of time. If need be he’ll be questioned in the future,” Marty added.
The 79-year-old Swiss official Blatter, on the offensive after being re-elected to a new term on Friday, meanwhile slammed what he called a “hate” campaign by European football leaders.
Blatter said he suspected the arrest of seven Fifa officials in Zurich on Wednesday under a US anti-corruption warrant was an attempt to “interfere with the congress” that returned him to power.
“There are signs which cannot be mistaken: the Americans were candidates for the 2022 World Cup and they lost,” he told Swiss television channel RTS.
“I’m not certain, but it doesn’t smell good.”
He described the US as the “number one sponsor” of Jordan, home country of his challenger for the Fifa presidency, Prince Ali bin al Hussein.
The Jordanian prince, who had the backing of European football body Uefa, withdrew from Friday’s race after the first round of voting.
The seven arrested officials were all detained for corruption cases in North and South America and Blatter said they could have been arrested on their home territory or at a Fifa executive committee six weeks ago.
He also condemned comments about Fifa made by senior members of the US judiciary, including Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who lamented the “rampant, systemic and deep-rooted” corruption in football. Another official spoke of a “World Cup of fraud”.
“Of course I’m shocked,” Blatter responded. “I would never as Fifa president make comments about another organisation without being certain of what has happened.”
US authorities have so far indicted 14 people, including the seven held in Zurich, on charges of involvement in $150 million of bribes for sports media contracts. They include two Fifa vice-presidents.
A senior US legal official has said more indictments are likely in the case. — AFP.
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