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Cape Town - On Wednesday nine FIFA officials and five others were indicted on corruption charges by the United States attorney’s office.
The charges relate to schemes that took place over 24 years and include racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.
Early on Wednesday morning Swiss police, under the request of US authorities, arrested seven of the nine Fifa officials at their hotel in Geneva, including Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb.
#FIFA update: These are 7 of the 9 indicted soccer officials indicted in bribery case. http://t.co/gZywIZsAFR pic.twitter.com/aku66y5jOB
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) May 27, 2015The accused were quickly ushered by police into awaiting vehicles, their identities hidden by a sheet.
FIFA officials were escorted out behind sheets at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich http://t.co/1U9kXrhjzK pic.twitter.com/lrl40M5m1o
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 27, 2015Police also raided the Fifa headquarters, seizing documents relating to another separate criminal probe related to the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. South Africa’s 2010 World Cup allocation is also in the spotlight.
#FIFA indictment on 2010 World Cup corruption allegations pic.twitter.com/wrD6bCIB88
— Nomsa Maseko (@nomsa_maseko) May 27, 2015The New York Times broke the story at 5.50am and stated that the officials could face extradition to the US.
EXCLUSIVE: Top FIFA officials indicted, face extradition to U.S. on corruption charges. http://t.co/gS8A0tmPGa pic.twitter.com/My0LGooLiL
— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) May 27, 2015Soon social media was abuzz with the “beautiful game’s” not so beautiful scandal and with that the memes poured in:
There can't be a more corrupt, deplorable organisation on earth than FIFA. The house of cards is falling. Time for change!
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 27, 2015A reminder of some of the evidence that led to arrest of FIFA officials: a voting form for whether to choose Qatar pic.twitter.com/L9hGuxgkwQ
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) May 27, 2015"did they leave yet? Text me when they leave" #FIFA pic.twitter.com/8soGxk2ZHm
— Trevor Hayward (@HeyHayward) May 27, 2015
