Sources inside FIFA say as many as 16 football officials may be arrested, or have already been arrested, on Thursday in the latest purge of football corruption by the US Department of Justice.
FIFA vice-presidents Alfredo Hawit of Honduras and Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay are reported to be the two men who were
arrested at 6am on orders issued by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice on behalf of the US DoJ.
Police swooped on the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich on Thursday in fresh raids in the FIFA corruption scandal
Thursday's
was the second swoop on the luxury hotel this year and relates to
allegations of taking bribes in return for selling marketing rights in
connection with football tournaments in Latin America and World Cup
qualifying matches.
Brazil
football president Marco Polo del Nero, who fled back to his country
immediately after the May arrests at the Baur au Lac, is also understood
to have been arrested as part of the latest raids.
Hawit
and Napout sat on FIFA's highest decision-making board, the executive
committee, on Wednesday but will now be missing from Friday's meetings
when the latest reforms of football's governing body are expected to be
ratified.
Alfredo Hawit of Honduras (centre), interim president of CONCACAF, is said to have been arrested
Thursday's
was the second swoop on the luxury hotel this year and relates to
allegations of taking bribes in return for selling marketing rights in
connection with football tournaments in Latin America and World Cup
qualifying matches.
Brazil
football president Marco Polo del Nero, who fled back to his country
immediately after the May arrests at the Baur au Lac, is also understood
to have been arrested as part of the latest raids.
Hawit
and Napout sat on FIFA's highest decision-making board, the executive
committee, on Wednesday but will now be missing from Friday's meetings
when the latest reforms of football's governing body are expected to be
ratified.
Other
arrests in connection with the case are expected around the world on
Thursday and the US DoJ are also expected to indict more officials on
bribery and corruption charges.
Law
enforcement officials said the list of those arrested does not include
suspended pair FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his deputy Jerome Valcke.
The
FOJ said in a statement: 'On the instructions of the Federal Office of
Justice FOJ, a further two FIFA officials were arrested in Zurich today,
Thursday.
'They
are being held in custody pending their extradition. According to the
US arrest requests, they are suspected of accepting bribes of millions
of dollars.'
Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay (right), another FIFA vice-president, is also reported to have been arrested
Swiss police are said to have entered the hotel, where rooms start from £435-a-night, through a side door at 6am with officers targeting current and former senior soccer officials.
FIFA issued a statement saying: 'FIFA became aware of the actions taken today by the US Department of Justice. FIFA will continue to cooperate 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.
'FIFA will have no further comment on today's developments.'
FIFA issued a statement saying: 'FIFA became aware of the actions taken today by the US Department of Justice. FIFA will continue to cooperate 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.
'FIFA will have no further comment on today's developments.'
FIFA's executive committee were gathering in Switzerland for two days of talks across Wednesday and Thursday of this week.
Thursday's
arrests were made ahead of a 9am ExCo meeting which is scheduled to
approve wide-ranging reforms to help protect against corrupt officials.
The
reforms are a response to the dual American and Swiss federal
investigations of corruption implicating FIFA leaders and which saw
president Blatter announce his resignation plans in June.
'According to the arrest requests, some of the offences were agreed and prepared in the USA. Payments were also processed via U.S. banks,' the Swiss justice ministry said.
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 a similar swoop in May.
Napout is the president of CONMEBOL, the South American confederation.
CBF president Del Nero stepped down from the FIFA ExCo last week. Former CBF president Jose Maria Marin was arrested in the May raids of the Baur au Lac.
The last six months have been the most turbulent period of Blatter's 17-year reign at FIFA's helm.
FIFA HEAD QUARTER
The Swiss
official was re-elected as president on May 29, three days after a raid
in Zurich by Swiss police resulted in seven officials being arrested and
criminal proceedings being opened regarding 'systematic and
deep-rooted' corruption in football.
As
a result of the Swiss investigation, Blatter and UEFA president Michel
Platini are serving 90-day suspensions amid FIFA ethics investigations
involving £1.35million of FIFA money Blatter approved for Platini in
2011 as backdated salary.
Both face lifetime bans at ethics hearings expected this month.
Authorities
have said for months to expect a second wave of corruption charges in
football following US charges in May against 14 officials and marketing
executives with paying and taking bribes.
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