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By Conor Gaffey
Staff Writer
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Germany's 2006 World Cup is under scrutiny after police raided the Frankfurt headquarters of the German football association (DFB) in relation to suspicions of tax evasion linked to the awarding of the tournament, Reuters reported.
The Frankfurt prosecutor's office said that investigations have been opened regarding "serious tax evasion" connected to the 2006 tournament—which Germany won the right to host in 2000—and the transfer of 6.7 million euros ($7.4 million) from the German World Cup organising committee to FIFA.
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The prosecutors said that investigations extended to the current DFB president, Wolfgang Niersbach, as well as Theo Zwanziger, who was president when Germany hosted the tournament. The former vice president and treasurer of the tournament's organizing committee are also both under investigation, as is the former DFB general secretary. German tabloid Bild also reported that the private homes of Niersbach and Zwanziger were searched by tax authorities.
The 2006 tournament has recently been dragged into the ongoing corruption scandal that has engulfed FIFA since May, when U.S. and Swiss authorities launched probes into the organization and numerous high-ranking officials were arrested at a Zurich hotel.
Franz Beckenbauer, who headed up the committee in charge of Germany's bid for the 2006 tournament, recently admitted that the payment of 6.7 million euros to FIFA was a "mistake" but denied that it was used to buy votes from other national associations. The DFB said the payment was not connected to the awarding of the tournament. Germany won the right to host the 2006 World Cup at a vote in 2000, beating South Africa by 12 votes to 11.
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