FIFA
is reeling from a fresh scandal as Secretary General Jerome Valcke was
dramatically suspended over allegations of involvement in a ticketing
scam and placed under investigation.
Valcke, the right-hand man of outgoing
FIFA President Sepp Blatter, was immediately relieved of his duties as
the latest wave of sleaze crashed into world football’s governing body.
Switzerland, meanwhile, ruled on
Thursday that Eugenio Figueredo, a former FIFA vice-president, should be
extradited to the US in a corruption probe, the first suspect facing a
forced transfer over the fraud allegations that have shaken the world
football.
Valcke “has been put on leave and
released from his duties effective immediately until further notice,”
said a FIFA statement on Thursday.
“Further, FIFA has been made aware of a
series of allegations involving the secretary general and has requested a
formal investigation by the FIFA Ethics Committee.”
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The
54-year-old French official had already been forced to deny involvement
in a $10m payment to South Africa in the wake of corruption allegations
that forced Blatter’s resignation earlier this year.
The latest claims against Valcke related
to accusations of involvement in a scam to sell World Cup tickets at
vastly inflated prices and take a slice of the profits.
The claims were made by Benny Alon, an
American-Israeli consultant at a company which had a deal with FIFA to
sell tickets at the 2014 World Cup. The contract was subsequently
cancelled.
Title : FIFA suspends sec gen over fraud allegations
Description : FIFA is reeling from a fresh scandal as Secretary General Jerome Valcke was dramatically suspended over allegations of involvement in a...
