AH, the Swiss. So difficult to understand; so difficult to penetrate; so difficult to enlist their support for prosecution of FIFA officials. Well, it's easier now. The United States Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, has cracked open the case against top FIFA leadership. Mr. Sepp Blatter, the aging, lingering, suspended president of FIFA, seems to be days away from indictment. Since the Swiss Attorney General's Office has joined the case against FIFA officials, the path to indictments has opened significantly. Despite Swiss Government secrecy laws, the US Attorney General has rolled her Swiss counterpart into the case as a forceful participant in pursuit of justice. With $1.5 billions in the bank, the non-profit FIFA seems to have more money than smarts. Use of the funds for bribery/acceptance of bribes has tarnished the reputation of the international football (soccer) organization.
One aspect of the case involves the location of evidence relative to the accusations leveled against the FIFA leadership. Until now, little evidence was sent to Washington to aid the AG's Office. Part of the problem was jurisdiction for the legal case. Who was going to be indicted and where? Cross border indictments are surrounded by treaties and agreements that specify by code whose in charge where. With new agreements signed, the path to the courtroom is more direct, less obstructed than ever when it comes to finally exposing the corruption endemic to the sport.
More to follow.
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