The UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is actively seeking evidence relating to a possible criminal investigation into FIFA corruption.
The independent British government department which investigates instances of serious fraud and corruption, previously thought that it did not have the jurisdiction to launch its own corruption investigation because there was no evidence that any illegal activities took place in the UK. FIFA's publication of a summary of its ethics committee's inquiry has given them grounds to examine the case more closely.
The Telegraph has seen a series of letters between MP Damian Collins and the SFO’s general counsel, Alun Milford which reveal that the body are pursuing a “every reasonable line of inquiry” and seeking evidence from the Swiss Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It is also looking for submissions from whistle-blowers who were involved in FIFA's original probe.
Mr Collins indicated that the issue will be raised in both the House of Commons and the European Parliament.
This revelation followed this morning's reports that the British Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Sajid Javid has written to FIFA president Sepp Blatter urging him to release the Ethic Committee's full report.
Only a summary has been made available by FIFA. The head of organisation’s ethics committee, Michael Garcia, has distanced himself from the published findings, and said that they misrepresent his investigation.
The English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Belgian and Danish football federations have all also demanded that the full report be published.
Commercial Pressure
Tokyo electronics giant Sony has decided to end its sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup amid growing concerns over the transparency of the federation's investigation into alleged corruption.
Sony is one of the organisations 'official sponsors', its deal is worth €224 million. The company will be the second major sponsor to end its relationship with the World Cup after Malaysia-based airline Emirates has already cut ties with the tournament.
In June, Sony called for a thorough investigation into allegations of corruption, saying that it expected FIFA to "adhere to its principles of integrity, ethics and fair play across all aspects of its operations”.
Coca Cola has publicly criticised the federation over its handling of the investigation. Last weekend The Sunday Times published comments from a spokesman for the company who said: "Anything that detracts from the mission and ideals of the FIFA World Cup is a concern to us. The current conflicting perspectives regarding the investigation are disappointing."
McDonald's and Adidas, two major sponsors, also spoke to The Sunday Times and expressed concerns about the allegations - but stopped short of making any critical comments. McDonald's is 'monitoring the situation,' while Adidas plans to discuss the report directly with FIFA.
Visa and Hyundai/Kia are the tournaments two other main sponsors.
