(CNN) -- The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has taken
a new twist as football's world governing body FIFA lodged a criminal
complaint with the Swiss judiciary Tuesday.
The complaint relates to the "international transfers of assets with
connections to Switzerland, which merit examination by the criminal
prosecution authorities."
The FIFA statement added: "The subject of the criminal complaint is the
possible misconduct of individual persons in connection with the awarding
of the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup."
FIFA lodged the complaint with the Attorney General of Switzerland in
Berne on the recommendation of German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert --
FIFA's independent ethics adjudicator.
"I lodged the criminal complaint upon the recommendation of Judge
Eckert," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.
"I cannot, however, comment on any possible criminal offenses. I am not
a lawyer.
"I also was not the addressee of the investigatory report, which I have
never seen. However, given Judge Eckert's recommendation, it was my
duty -- as the President of FIFA -- to lodge the complaint."
Eckert's recommendation was based on the evidence compiled by Michael
Garcia -- chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics
Committee -- who has been examining the awarding of the hosting rights
of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
However Blatter insisted there was no change to Eckert's statement "that
the investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World
Cups is concluded." Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/18/sport/football/fifa-criminal-complaint-world-cup/