2015 FIFA corruption case account. FIFA commissioned former United States Attorney Michael J. Garcia to investigate and report on the bidding processes behind the awarding of the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar. In November 2014, FIFA made a copy of Garcia's report available to the Attorney General of Switzerland, who then stated that there were "grounds for suspicion that, in isolated cases, international transfers of assets with connections to Switzerland took place which merit examination by the criminal prosecution authorities". Sepp Blatter had been president of FIFA since 1998 (until his removal in December 2015).
61st FIFA Congress place on 29 May following allegations against FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, FIFA Executive Committee member Mohammed bin Hammam, as well as Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester. The inquiry was launched after FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer reported to FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke that Bin Hammam had offered $40,000 of bribes to members of the Caribbean Football Union at a meeting organised by Warner from 10 to 11 May CFU officials Minguell and Sylvester were alleged to have witnessed the transaction. The vice-president of the Bahamas Football Association later produced photographic evidence of the