ZURICH (AP) — FIFA has asked its ethics committee to investigate 16 Caribbean soccer leaders about a bribery scandal involving former presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam.
The officials are suspected of being offered or taking $40,000 in cash to back Bin Hammam against FIFA President Sepp Blatter, then denying the corruption attempt to investigators led by former FBI director Louis Freeh.
FIFA says the suspects include Colin Klass of Guyana, a long-standing ally of former Caribbean soccer strongman Jack Warner. FIFA says Klass has been provisionally suspended.
FIFA says the 16 will be interviewed by Freeh’s team and more cases could follow.
The second wave of cases follows bin Hammam’s life ban last month.
