Franz Beckenbauer investigated for corruption over 2006 World Cup

Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into German football legend Franz Beckenbauer and three others over Germany’s bid for the 2006 International Cup. As contributors to that glass’s setting up a committee, they are suspected of fraud, crook mismanagement, money laundering, and misappropriation. Some alleged crimes were achieved on Swiss territory. Mr. Beckenbauer, who headed the bid, has previously denied corruption. Closing October, he stated he had made a “mistake” in the bidding process to host the competition in 2000 but denied that the votes had been bought.

In March, football’s World governing body Fifa began looking into six men for their component in Germany winning the rights to host the 2006 Cup. After launching their investigations related to the ones of Fifa, Swiss prosecutors named four suspects on Thursday: Franz Beckenbauer: Former vice-president of the German soccer Affiliation (DFB), president of the 2006 Global Cup local organizing committee (LOC), and former member of the Fifa govt committee.

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Wolfgang

Wolfgang Niersbach: Former president of the DFB, vice-president of the LOC, and present-day member of the Fifa and Uefa government committees
Theo Zwanziger: Former president of the DFB, vice-president of the LOC, and former Fifa and Uefa executive committees member.

Horst Rudolf Schmidt:

Former secretary-fashionable of the DFB and vice-president of the LOC. The prosecutors said that premises were searched in eight undisclosed locations on Thursday with the cooperation of the Austrian and German authorities. The prosecutors said that premises were searched in eight unknown locations on Thursday with the cooperation of the Austrian and German authorities.

Mr. Beckenbauer’s domestic in Austria turned into some properties searched, according to the Related Press agency. Several suspects had been additionally puzzled, the prosecutors delivered. Germany beat South Africa 12-11 in the Global Cup vote in July 2000. The Swiss investigation centers on the usage of 7m euros (£6m; $7.8m), later reduced to 6.7m euros, earmarked for a gala occasion. “It is suspected that the suspects knew that this sum turned into now not being used to fund the gala occasion, but as an alternative to repaying a debt that was now not owed by way of the DFB,” prosecutors stated in an announcement.

“Especially, It’s miles suspected that the suspects willfully misled their fellow members of the governing board of the establishing committee for the 2006 Global Cup. The former defender went directly to control French aspect Marseille and German giants Bayern Munich, in which he is now honorary president. Now 70, he played his first Global Cup for West Germany in 1966 in England and captained the team to victory as hosts at the 1974 event turned into teaching when West Germany lifted the trophy in Italy sixteen years later.

International caps: 103.

Honors as a participant: Bundesliga (5), German Cups (four), Ecu Cups (3), Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup, 1974 World Cup, 1972 Ecu Championship. “This was possibly achieved by using pretenses or concealment of the fact, inducing the alternative committee individuals to act in a manner that caused DFB an economic loss.” Now, in addition, information had been given. Reporting earlier on Thursday, Germany’s Spiegel magazine stated the investigation centered on bills crafted from 2002-2005.

Closing October, Mr. Beckenbauer said he did not give “cash to anybody to buy votes.” However, in a declaration, he said: “To get a subsidy from Fifa [for the organization of the 2006 World Cup], those worried went beforehand with a proposal from the Fifa finance commission that during present-day eyes ought to have been rejected. “As president of the then-organizing committee, I am responsible for this mistake.”