Fifa officials arrested for corruption
Authorities in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday (May 27) launched an operation to arrest several high-ranking FIFA officials on corruption charges and extradite them to the United States, the New York Times reported.
The Times, citing anonymous law enforcement officials, said the US federal charges include racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud.
It said the misconduct in soccer’s world governing body spans two decades. More than 10 officials were expected to be indicted, the newspaper reported.
The officials are in Zurich for the FIFA Congress where incumbent Sepp Blatter faces a challenge from Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein in a presidential election on Friday.
The report said the arrests were "carried out peacefully" at the five-star Baur au Lac hotel.
One Fifa official led out by authorities was identified as Eduardo Li of Costa Rica.
Times reporter Michael S. Schmidt tweeted from the hotel lobby saying his sources have told him Blatter is "not among the Fifa officials who are being arrested".
Sources: The New York Times, Reuters, Twitter
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