BERLIN // Franz Beckenbauer on Friday cancelled a public appointment in Zurich, amid the on-going investigation by Swiss prosecutors into corruption allegations over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany.
The German football legend, who owns a South African winery, cancelled an appointment to attend a function in a Zurich hotel.
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Beckenbauer, 70, is being investigated, along with three other members of the 2006 World Cup organising committee – Hans-Rudolf Schmidt, Theo Zwanziger and Wolfgang Niersbach – by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland.
The court in Bern on Thursday announced that prosecutors have been investigating the four Germans since November last year, the month after German magazine Der Spiegel first broke the cash-for-votes scandal.
The quartet are being investigated over allegations of fraud, criminal mismanagement, money laundering and misappropriation.
Searches were carried out at eight locations on Thursday and German daily Bild reported that officials spent two hours searching Beckenbauer's Salzburg home.
"Franz Beckenbauer supported the investigation by the Swiss authorities, since he had prior knowledge of it [the search] and will continue to cooperate with all the authorities involved," Beckenbauer's lawyer told Bild.
According to the paper, for whom Beckenbauer writes a regular column, the home of Urs Linsi, the former general secretary of world football’s governing body Fifa, was also searched.
Beckenbauer captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup and managed the side that won the trophy in Italy in 1990.
The cash-for-votes scandal has hung over German footfall since October 2015 when Der Spiegel claimed that a secret fund of 10 million Swiss francs (Dh37m) was used to buy the hosting rights of the 2006 World Cup.
The money allegedly came from the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus, ex-boss of Adidas, at Beckenbauer’s request, and was handed over in 2000, just before Germany were awarded the 2006 finals by a narrow vote.
In March, Fifa’s Ethics Committee opened formal proceedings, which are still ongoing, against Beckenbauer regarding the awarding of the 2006 finals.
In May, an independent inquiry commissioned by the German Football Association (DFB) said it could not rule out that Germany bought votes to secure the 2006 World Cup.
In July, Fifa’s Ethics Committee banned Niersbach, the former president of the DFB, for one year over misconduct surrounding the 2006 bid.
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EMIRATES'S REVISED A350 DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE
Edinburgh: November 4 (unchanged)
Bahrain: November 15 (from September 15); second daily service from January 1
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Colombo: January 2 (from January 1)
Muscat: March 1 (from December 1)
Lyon: March 1 (from December 1)
Bologna: March 1 (from December 1)
Source: Emirates
Company Profile
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UAE athletes heading to Paris 2024
Equestrian
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Abdullah Al Marri, Omar Al Marzooqi, Salem Al Suwaidi, and Ali Al Karbi (four to be selected).
Judo
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Safia Al Sayegh (women's road race).
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Men: Yousef Rashid Al Matroushi (100m freestyle); women: Maha Abdullah Al Shehi (200m freestyle).
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
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Industry: Electric vehicles
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Sukuk
An Islamic bond structured in a way to generate returns without violating Sharia strictures on prohibition of interest.
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Stan Lee
Director: David Gelb
Rating: 3/5
A cheaper choice
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How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
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One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
India cancels school-leaving examinations
COMPANY PROFILE
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Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
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