Blatter investigated for "bribery" and €71m of "corrupt" bonuses
FIFA claims that Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner skimmed off the eight-figure sum in salaries and bonuses in "a coordinated effort" to "enrich themselves"
Banned FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his former chief lieutenants were under investigation Friday over illicit bonuses totalling $80 million (71mn euros), FIFA's ethics committee said.
Football's ruling body claimed in June that Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Markus Kattner had skimmed off the eight-figure sum in salaries and bonuses in "a coordinated effort" to "enrich themselves" between 2011-2015.
Formal proceedings
FIFA's ethics committee, which has passed on its finding to the Swiss police, said its investigators had opened formal proceedings against the men for possible ethics violations which included "bribery and corruption".
The suspected violations were "in the context of salaries and bonuses paid to Mr Blatter, Mr Valcke and Mr Kattner as well as other provisions included in the contracts of these three individuals," it said.
They are also suspected of having breached rules on general conduct, loyalty, conflicts of interest and "offering and accepting gifts and other benefits."
Bans
Blatter is serving a six-year ban from football over ethics violations relating to a suspect $2 million he authorised in 2011 to former UEFA boss Michel Platini. Valcke was himself banned for 12 years, reduced to 10 on appeal, over misconduct regarding television deals and 2014 World Cup ticket sales. Kattner, who briefly succeeded Valacke as Blatter's righthand man, was fired in May over 'breaches' involving millions of dollars.