German football headquarters raided

The DFB denied the claims last month, reported in Der Spiegel news weekly.

A few hours after the raids were launched, the DFB issued its own statement, saying that it was cooperating with the prosecutors’ office in its investigation.

It also follows claims that a secret slush fund was set up to secure votes for the country to host the World Cup nine years ago.

Journalists gather outside the DFB headquarters.

“The raids are linked to the awarding of the football World Cup 2006 and the transfer of €6.7 million to FIFA”, Frankfurt prosecutor Nadja Niesen told AP.

In an interview with the Spiegel, Zwanziger claimed he was told by Schmidt, then World Cup organising committee’s vice president, that the disgraced former Federation Internationale de Football Association vice president Mohamed Bin Hammam was the recipient.

“The DFB itself is no defendant in this investigation”. It has also revealed documents were seized during the raid. They say at least $US40 million had been paid out by the time the charges were announced. “It has to do with the €6.7 million”, the spokeswoman said, adding that around 50 officers participated in the raids.

The DFB have tasked a law firm to investigate payments made to Federation Internationale de Football Association.

Meanwhile, human rights organisations announced they had formally submitted evidence to Fifa’s ethics committee and ad-hoc electoral committee alleging the favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as president was complicit in a crackdown on pro-democracy campaigners in Bahrain. Dreyfus died in 2009.

It has, however, said the money “may potentially not have been used for the intended purpose”. The payment has come under close scrutiny in Germany and its murky circumstances still have not been explained.

“The suspects allegedly evaded tax in 2006 by filing a wrong declaration”, said Niesen. In the United Kingdom, Standard Chartered Plc, has said it’s looking into two payments it cleared that were mentioned in the Federation Internationale de Football Association indictment.