國際足聯腐敗高官受賄金額達1.5億美元

Fifa executives took bribes worth millions of dollars in a culture of “rampant, systemic and deep-rooted” corruption, US authorities claimed yesterday, plunging football’s governing body into the worst crisis in its history.

美國當局昨日聲稱，國際足聯(Fifa)高管收受價值達1.5億美元的賄賂，該組織存在“猖獗、系統性和根深蒂固的”的腐敗文化。這使該足球管理機構陷入史上最嚴重的危機。

Loretta Lynch, the US attorney-general, said bribes were paid to influence the award of the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, the 2011 Fifa presidential election and in a deal involving sponsorship of Brazil’s national football team.

美國司法部長洛蕾塔•林奇(Loretta Lynch)稱，這些行賄意在影響的決定包括：南非獲得2010年世界盃主辦權、2011年國際足聯主席選舉，以及一筆涉及贊助巴西國家足球隊的交易。

Her accusations came as the Department of Justice, FBI and Internal Revenue Service unveiled charges against nine Fifa officials and five sports executives, and Swiss prosecutors announced a criminal investigation into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

林奇發出指責之際，美國司法部(DoJ)、聯邦調查局(FBI)和國稅局(IRS)對9名國際足聯官員和5名體育高管提出了刑事指控，同時瑞士檢方宣佈對2018年和2022年世界盃主辦權的決定展開刑事調查。

Yesterday’s events mark the most dramatic move by law enforcement agencies against an organisation that in recent years has lurched from scandal to scandal but has so far escaped criminal prosecution.

昨日的事件標誌着執法機構對國際足聯採取的最爲戲劇化的行動，後者近年來醜聞纏身，但此前從未受到刑事起訴。

The bombshell comes just two days before Fifa’s ruling executive was due to meet to elect a president, with current head Sepp Blatter — one of the most powerful figures in world sport — expected to win a fifth term.

這起爆炸性事件發生在國際足聯執委會開會選舉新任主席的兩天之前，預計世界體育界最有權勢的人物之一、現任國際足聯主席塞普•布拉特(Sepp Blatter)將贏得第五屆任期。

Uefa, European football’s governing body, said it was “astonished and saddened” by the events, and called for tomorrow’s election to be postponed.

歐洲足球管理機構——歐足聯(Uefa)稱相關事件“令人震驚和痛心”，並呼籲推遲原定明日舉行的選舉。

Mr Blatter said: “This is a difficult time for football, the fans and for FIFA as an organisation. As unfortunate as these events are, it should be clear that we welcome the actions and the investigations by the US and Swiss authorities and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken to root out any wrongdoing in football.

布拉特表示：“對足球、球迷以及國際足聯作爲一個組織來說，這是一個困難時刻。雖然這些事件是不幸的，但應該明確的是，我們歡迎美國和瑞士有關部門的行動與調查，相信這將有助於加強國際足聯已經採取的、根除足球領域任何不當行爲的措施。”

“Such misconduct has no place in football and we will ensure that those who engage in it are put out of the game.

“這樣的不當行爲在足球運動中沒有空間，我們將確保那些從事不當行爲的人被清除出去。”

Fifa has long been dogged by allegations of corruption, especially over its controversial decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a country with little tradition of football and where summer temperatures can exceed 50°C.

國際足聯長期受到腐敗指控的困擾，尤其是針對其授予沒有什麼足球傳統、夏季氣溫可能超過50°C的卡塔爾2022年世界盃主辦權這一備受爭議的決定。

The DoJ said the 14 indicted men were charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies, claiming they had participated in a “24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer”.

美國司法部稱，14名受到指控的人員面臨的罪名包括敲詐勒索、電信欺詐以及合謀從事洗錢活動，並稱他們參與了一個“通過腐化國際足球事業來中飽私囊的長達24年的計劃”。

“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” Ms Lynch said.

林奇表示：“起訴書指控，在美國以及海外的腐敗是猖獗、系統性和根深蒂固的。”

The officials allegedly received bribes and kickbacks from sports marketing companies in exchange for the commercial rights to football tournaments, including the World Cup. The DoJ said the amount solicited and received was well over $150m. An indictment detailing the charges was unsealed hours after Swiss police swooped on a hotel in Zurich where Fifa officials had gathered ahead of the governing body’s annual congress. Seven of the nine indicted officials, who include two Fifa vice- presidents, were arrested in the raid.

這些官員涉嫌收受體育營銷公司的賄賂和回扣，並給予它們足球錦標賽（包括世界盃）的商業權利作爲交換。美國司法部表示，索賄和受賄的數額遠超1.5億美元。詳細列舉指控的起訴書公佈幾小時前，瑞士警方突襲了蘇黎世的一家酒店。國際足聯官員在該機構年度大會召開前夕齊聚該酒店。在9名受到指控的官員（包括兩名國際足聯副主席）中，有7名在突襲中被捕。