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US and Swiss prosecutors to update on FIFA probes

US attorney general Loretta Lynch will meet her Swiss counterpart Michael Lauber on September 14 Keystone

Federal prosecutors from the United States and Switzerland heading investigations of corruption in international football are due to meet in Zurich later this month and hold a joint news conference. 

US attorney general Loretta Lynch and her Swiss counterpart Michael Lauber will hold a joint press conference on September 14, to explain “the status of the two criminal proceedings”, Swiss officials said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Lynch is visiting Zurich for an annual four-day International Association of Prosecutors event, which is being hosted this year by Lauber’s department. 

FIFA has been in turmoil since May 27 when 14 sports marketing executives and football officials, including several from FIFA, were indicted in the US on bribery, money-laundering and wire-fraud charges involving more than $150 million (CHF144 million) in payments. 

Seven of those accused were arrested by Swiss police in a dawn raid on a luxury Zurich hotel two days before the FIFA Congress where Sepp Blatter was re-elected for a fifth term as president. Four days after being re-elected, Blatter shocked observers by announcing he would resign. His successor will be chosen at an extraordinary FIFA Congress on February 26.

The Swiss investigation is focusing on the decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar, made at the Congress in Zurich on December 2, 2010. 

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