Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and ex-secretary general Jerome Valcke, already banned from football for ethics violations, are facing a fresh investigation over the salaries and bonuses they received in office.
In a separate decision, former FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb was given a life ban from any soccer-related activity and fined one million Swiss francs ($1.02 million).
FIFA’s ethics committee said its investigators had opened formal proceedings against both Blatter and Valcke, along with former finance director Markus Kattner, for possible ethics violations which included bribery and corruption.
The suspected violations were “in the context of salaries and bonuses paid to Mr Blatter, Mr Valcke and Mr Kattner as well as other provisions included in the contracts of these three individuals,” it said.
They are also suspected of having breached rules on general conduct, loyalty, conflicts of interest and “offering and accepting gifts and other benefits.”
Reuters said Valcke’s lawyer declined comment while Blatter and Kattner could not immediately be reached although they have previously denied wrongdoing.
Blatter has said his earnings were in line with top officials from professional sports leagues around the world.
Soccer’s global governing body is attempting to recover from the worst graft scandal in its history which has seen 42 people, including former FIFA executive committee members, indicted in the United States since May last year.
Criminal investigations are also under way in Switzerland, where FIFA has its headquarters.
