FIFA president linked to TV rights deal exposed in documents of Panama law firm
Police raided the headquarters of European football's governing body on Wednesday following allegations in the Panama Papers leak, Swiss media reported.
Federal police officers searched the offices of UEFA in Nyon after claims that FIFA President Gianni Infantino - the former director of legal services at UEFA - signed a TV deal in 2006 with businessmen who have since been caught up in a global corruption scandal involving leading figures from international football.
Both UEFA and Infantino have denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland said the search was on the basis of “suspicion of criminal mismanagement” relating to the sale of TV rights. It said this suspicion resulted from “other proceedings” that recent media coverage had complimented.
The documents of Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca showed a 2006 contract to sell the Ecuadorian rights for European football tournaments to two figures who have since been accused of bribery in a U.S. investigation into FIFA corruption.
The files contain 11.5 million documents that point to around 140 politicians worldwide who used Mossack Fonseca to set up off-shore shell companies, which are typically used to conceal money from authorities.
