Switzerland: Six FIFA officials arrested in Zurich, face extradition to USA

Six FIFA officials were arrested over corruption charges by Swiss authorities working in conjunction with the FBI during an early morning operation in Zurich on Wednesday. Footage shows the FIFA headquarters and the Baur au Lac hotel. At around dawn, plain clothed police officers entered the five star Baur au Lac hotel, where officials had gathered for the annual FIFA congress, and arrested the suspects as part of a bribery and corruption probe worth around €92m ($100m). In addition to the arrests FIFA's headquarters in Zurich have been raided and electronic data connected to the allocation of the upcoming football World Cups has been seized. However Director of Communications and Public Affairs Walter De Gregorio FIFA maintains that the World Cup 2018 and 2022 will take place in Russia and Qatar. Fourteen FIFA officials are facing corruption and bribery charges worth around €92m ($100m) worldwide, six of whom were arrested at the five star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich early in the morning. FIFA President Sepp Blatter has not been charged and strongly denies any involvement. The soccer officials charged are FIFA Vice-President Jeffrey Webb, Costas Takkas, Eugenio Figueredo, Eduardo Li, Jack Warner, Jose Maria Marin, Julio Rocha, Nicolas Leoz, Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Mariano Jinkis, Hugo Jinkis, Jose Margulies and Rafael Esquivelm, according to a United States Department of Justice press release. In addition to the arrests, FIFA's headquarters in Zurich have been raided and electronic data, connected to the allocation of the upcoming football World Cups, has been seized.