ZURICH, Switzerland, Sept. 17 (UPI) — World soccer authority FIFA on Thursday announced the suspension of its top executive for allegedly reselling World Cup tickets above face value.
FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke was placed on leave and stripped of his authority pending the outcome of an investigation, the governing body said in a news release.
“FIFA today announced that its Secretary General Jérôme Valcke has been put on leave and released from his duties effective immediately until further notice,” the statement said. “Further, FIFA has been made aware of a series of allegations involving the secretary general and has requested a formal investigation by the FIFA Ethics Committee.”
Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general since 2007, allegedly profited from the resale of tickets — an accusation that, if true, constitutes a serious violation.
Through his attorneys, Valcke denied the accusations and called them “outrageous” and “fabricated,” Britain’s The Guardian reported.
The suspension is the latest embarrassment for the governing body, which saw several current and former officials arrested earlier this year on corruption charges.
U.S. officials subsequently charged those arrested with bribery and racketeering.
President Sepp Blatter resigned over the scandal in June. Valcke worked closely with Blatter during his years at FIFA.
Earlier Thursday, Switzerland agreed to extradite Eugenio Figueredo, one of those arrested in May, to the United States to face charges.
