Sport Updates
AFP
More FIFA officials arrested
AFP, ZURICH: The unprecedented corruption scandal engulfing FIFA widened Thursday with the arrests of two more top officials in another dramatic dawn raid at a luxury hotel in Zurich. Swiss authorities again acted on a request from the US justice department, a repeat of the sweeping arrests in May that set off the scandal which has shaken world footballs governing body to its core.
A source inside FIFA, who requested anonymity, told AFP that the two officials targeted were South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) president Juan Angel Napout, and Alfredo Hawit, head of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). Both are suspected of taking millions of dollars in bribes in return for selling marketing rights for major regional tournaments in Latin America and World Cup qualifying matches, the Swiss Justice ministry said in a statement.
The arrests were carried out at the five-star Baur au Lac hotel, a favourite of FIFAs officials, and the same spot where seven top football executives were arrested in May on suspicion of involvement in tens of millions of dollars of corruption dating back decades. The New York Times, which broke the news of the fresh arrests, said Swiss authorities descended on the hotel at around 6:00 am (0500 GMT). Swiss officials have not confirmed the identities of the newest suspects, but said they would do so by days end.
