France Steps Up Corruption Case Over Award of Qatari World Cup

(Bloomberg) -- French prosecutors asked an investigative judge to take over a probe into the award of the 2022 World Cup hosting rights to Qatar.

Financial prosecutors at the Parquet National Financier opened a preliminary investigation about three years ago and are now tasking an investigative judge with wider powers to continue the case, said an official at the PNF, who asked not to be named in line with policy.

French news website Mediapart reported the move earlier Monday.

Qatar’s bid team has long denied any wrongdoing in its successful campaign to host the world’s most-watch event. FIFA, for its part, has been engulfed in crisis since a 2015 U.S. crack down on corruption on the sport’s governing body.

Michel Platini, former president of the European soccer federation, UEFA, was questioned by French police last year as part of the Qatar World Cup probe.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gaspard Sebag in Paris at gsebag@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net, Christopher Elser, Geraldine Amiel

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