FIFA ethics chief says probing soccer officials over World Cup bids

The chief ethics investigator of FIFA said on Wednesday he is conducting several proceedings against unnamed football officials based on initial findings from an investigation into the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.

"The independent Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee is carrying out several proceedings into football officials on suspicion of breach of the FIFA Code of Ethics based on the findings of the investigation into the decision for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups," Cornel Borbely, FIFA's chief ethics investigator, said in a statement.

"Should new evidence come to light, the Investigatory Chamber will widen the group of suspects."

The ethics committee is not authorized to provide names of those being investigated, and Borbely said for tactical reasons he would not provide information on the current number of suspects or investigators involved.