Switzerland Investigating 53 Possible Money Laundering Acts Linked to FIFA

The FIFA crisis continues with the announcement that Switzerland is investigating 53 possible acts of money laundering in relation to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.

Speaking on Wednesday about the latest accusations, Switzerland's Attorney General Michael Lauber said banks in the country had filed reports about suspicious transactions in order to comply with national regulations against money laundering.

Lauber went on to describe a "huge and complex" case investigating "criminal mismanagement and money-laundering" in the bidding contests which awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

Lauber said he was prepared for either country to be stripped of the hosting rights if new evidence proved wrongdoing.

"I don't mind if this has some collateral [damage] somewhere else," he noted, addressing the media for the first time since the Swiss investigation into FIFA was announced three weeks ago. The Swiss authorities are running inquiries separate to the major US Department of Justice investigation which saw 14 former and current FIFA executives and sports marking executives arrested on charges of money laundering and racketeering, also three weeks ago.

Lauber said he did "not exclude" interviewing FIFA President Sepp Blatter and secretary-general Jerome Valcke in the future, though they were not currently under suspicion. Blatter — who announced his resignation earlier this month — is reportedly one of the targets of the US investigation.

Some of the 53 suspicious transactions were among 104 incidents previously notified to Swiss and American federal authorities, he said.

Lauber's team has also pursued a line of inquiry into payments linked to a friendly match between Argentina and Brazil played in Doha two weeks before the FIFA vote. Both countries had long-serving delegates on FIFA's executive committee.

Related: Former FIFA Underboss, Jack Warner, Allegedly Ripped Off Funds for Haiti Earthquake Victims

The attorney general's statement came one day after FIFA accused the Nobel Peace Center of failing to "embody the spirit of fair play" after the Norway-based body announced its decision to end its involvement in the joint Handshake for Peace initiative, made as details surrounding the organization's ongoing corruption scandal continue to emerge.

This action "obstructs the promotion of the key values of peace-building and anti-discrimination," FIFA said in a statement.

Last week, Interpol abruptly ended a 10-year €20 million ($22.5 million) deal with FIFA which was meant to provide funds to combat match-fixing. "In light of the current context surrounding FIFA, while INTERPOL is still committed to developing our Integrity in Sport programme, I have decided to suspend the agreement," said Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

Related: Sepp Blatter to Resign as FIFA President

On Monday, it was revealed that former FIFA executive Chuck Blazer, 70, has been acting as an FBI informant since 2011 in return for immunity from prosecution. Charges he's pleaded guilty to include bribery, money laundering and tax evasion — which would normally be accompanied by a maximum sentence of 75 years.

FIFA was thrown into crisis on May 27 when dual raids were carried out on a luxury hotel in Zurich on a luxury downtown hotel and at the organization's headquarters two days before its presidential election.

Related: From Drug Money to FIFA: How Banks Facilitate Illicit Transfers Around the World

The Associated Press contributed to this report.