Police raid UEFA headquarters in Nyon over Panama Papers link
UEFA has confirmed that Swiss police raided its headquarters in Nyon in relation to a contract leaked from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.
Eleven million documents were leaked over the past few days, and it has been alleged that new FIFA president Gianni Infantino signed off on a contract with businessmen Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, who have both been accused of bribery.
It has been alleged that the signature of Infantino, who was a UEFA director at the time, is on the 2006 contract, and the 46-year-old has been left “dismayed” by the link.
US prosecutors allege that Hugo Jinkis and his son Mariano, while running Cross Trading, bribed South American football officials to gain the TV rights to various tournaments.
It is alleged that the pair went on to sell the rights to Ecuadorian TV broadcaster Teleamazonas for three times the price.
Today, a statement from the European governing body read: “UEFA can confirm that today we received a visit from the office of the Swiss Federal Police acting under a warrant and requesting sight of the contracts between UEFA and Cross Trading/Teleamazonas.
“Naturally, UEFA is providing the Federal Police with all relevant documents in our possession and will cooperate fully.”
There is no evidence implicating Infantino in any bribery, nor is there a suggestion that Teleamazonas was complicit in any wrongdoing.
