British banks to review possible corrupt FIFA payments

June 1st, 2015 (VOA) Two British banks say they have launched internal reviews into how allegedly corrupt payments were funneled through their institutions as part of the years-long world football bribery scheme.

Barclays and Standard Chartered were among dozens of banks mentioned in the U.S. indictment last week charging 14 media and marketing executives and officials at FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, in a $150 million bribery scandal related to the award of sports media contracts.

No banks have been charged with wrongdoing in the case.

But as the indictments were announced, U.S. prosecutor Kelly Currie said “part of our investigation will look at the conduct of the financial institutions to see whether they were cognizant of the fact they were helping launder these bribe payments.

“It’s too early to say if there is any problematic behavior,” he said.

On Friday, Britain’s Serious Fraud Office said it “continues actively to assess material in its possession and has made plain that it stands ready to assist ongoing international criminal investigations.”