The FIFA Ethic Committee has announced that it is investigating the circumstances under which the 2006 World Cup was awarded to Germany, with Franz Beckenbauer named as one of the individuals under investigation.
The announcement, which follows the publication of a report by law firm Freshfields on the award process, outlines that ex-Bayern Munich star Beckenbauer - who formerly served as the vice-president of the German Football Association (DFB) and president of the 2006 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) - is believed to have been involved in "undue payments and contracts".
The same charges are levelled at Theo Zwanziger, a former president of the DFB and vice-president of the LOC; Stefan Hans, former chief financial officer of the DFB and chief financial officer of the LOC, and Horst R. Schmidt, former secretary general of the DFB and vice-president of the LOC.
Meanwhile, Wolfgang Niersbach, who is another former DFB president and vice-president of the LOC, and currently sits on the FIFA and UEFA Executive Committees, is suspected of "a possible failure to report a breach of the FIFA Code of Ethics". The same goes for Helmut Sandrock, former secretary general of the DFB and tournament director of the LOC.
The list of these suspected offences is not exhaustive, with suggestions that more could yet be unearthed as the probe progresses.
Source: transfermarketweb.com