FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has confirmed it is investigating President Sepp Blatter and UEFA’s Michel Platini.
The pair have been suspended for 90 days by world football’s governing body, with the latter hoping to succeed Blatter at elections in February.
However, today it has been announced that a payment being investigated by Swiss authorities will also be subject to an internal probe.
Secretary General Jerome Valcke is also under investigation.
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has confirmed it is investigating President Sepp Blatter and UEFA’s Michel Platini.
The pair have been suspended for 90 days by world football’s governing body, with the latter hoping to succeed Blatter at elections in February.
However, today it has been announced that a payment being investigated by Swiss authorities will also be subject to an internal probe.
Secretary General Jerome Valcke is also under investigation.
“The investigatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has confirmed that proceedings are ongoing against FIFA President Joseph Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini, both of whom are currently provisionally suspended,” a statement announced.
“The investigation is focusing on a payment of CHF 2 million from FIFA to Michel Platini in February 2011.
“The investigatory chamber will do everything in its power to ensure that a decision can be taken by the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert, within the 90-day suspension period [which began on 8 October 2015] of the two football officials.
“The investigatory chamber also confirms the ongoing proceedings against suspended FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke related to the suspicion of misuse of expenses and other infringements of FIFA’s rules and regulations.
“Under the FIFA Code of Ethics, pursuant to the presumption of innocence, the investigatory chamber shall examine all circumstances of the cases equally.
“In this sense, all parties are presumed innocent until a decision has been passed by the adjudicatory chamber.”
Proceedings concerning UEFA vice-President Ángel María Villar Llona and chair of the 2006 World Cup organising committee Franz Beckenbauer have also been passed to the adjudicatory chamber.
It was alleged last week that bribes had been used to secure Germany the right to host the tournament, though no official charges have been brought.