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After years of investigations and indictments, the United States Department of Justice on Monday said for the first time that representatives working for Russia and Qatar had bribed former FIFA officials to secure hosting rights for soccer’s World Cup.
Prosecutors made the accusations in an indictment charging three media executives and a sports marketing company with a number of crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering, in connection with bribes to secure television and marketing rights for international soccer tournaments.
The accusations were the latest salvo in a yearslong corruption case that has already produced convictions of numerous soccer officials and executives and depositions from former leaders of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body.