FIFA Corruption Investigation: Two More Top Officials Arrested In New Raid

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”, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice has announced.

The luxury hotel favoured by FIFA officials was raided for the second time this year, with the FIFA vice-presidents Alfredo Hawit of Honduras and Juan Ángel Napout of Paraguay detained on orders issued by the FOJ on behalf of the US Department of Justice.

While Swiss authorities confirmed two arrests, the New York Times quoted law enforcement officials as saying more than 12 people were expected to be charged.
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”.
Officials said that according to the arrest requests, some of the alleged offences were agreed and prepared in the US, with payments also processed via US banks.

Fifa, currently midway through a two-day executive committee meeting, acknowledged the latest controversy, saying in a statement: “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.”

The new Brazilian Fifa executive committee member Fernando Sarney said the atmosphere at Thursday’s committee meeting was funereal following the arrests. “It was like someone had died,” he said. “Everybody was surprised, the feeling was like it’s happening again, that it’s something we think is personal. It was supposed to be a positive day today with the reforms and a lot changes, compliance, transparency.”

Hawit was appointed interim president of Concacaf, the confederation of countries from North and Central America and the Caribbean, after his predecessor Jeffrey Webb was arrested in May. Napout is the president of Conmebol, the South American confederation.


A witness told reporters that the hotel closed its gates after a group of four people believed to be plainclothes police entered shortly before 6am. Another group of police then went in through the rear entrance and left half an hour later. Shortly afterwards, two cars with tinted windows were seen leaving the hotel, but reporters could not see who was inside.

Fifa’s leaders were gathering in Zurich to discuss governance reforms before a congress in February at which suspended president Sepp Blatter is expected to be replaced.