Nothing, absolutely nothing, should come between Qatar and the World Cup. Just to be safe, the sheiks did everything they could. With the help of ex-CIA agents, the emirate had officials of the world football association spy on FIFA and potential competitors. To what extent does research by SRF that was published on Wednesday show.
Email accounts, computers, phones – even FIFA people’s friends and families were spied on under the name “Project Merciless”. According to SRF, the ruling family – including current Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (42) – financed the massive wiretapping operation. The goal: to prevent Qatar from losing the World Cup due to massive criticism.
The sheiks paid $390 million
In nine years alone, more than 66 agents would have been deployed for one sub-operation. The budget was $387 million. The AP news agency reported in November 2021 that former CIA man Kevin Chalker and his company “Global Risk Advisors” had been hired before the 2010 World Cup was awarded.
CH Media also recently reported that FIFA’s Zurich headquarters were specifically spied on. In the picture, among others, Theo Zwanziger (77), member of the powerful FIFA Executive Committee and opponent of the World Cup award ceremony to Qatar. The sheiks would have paid ten million dollars just to spy on him.
Swiss also in sight
According to SRF, Peter Hargitay (71), a PR professional with a Swiss passport, who also represented commodity trader Marc Rich (1934-2013), was also the target of a cyber attack. In the 2000s, Hargitay was an adviser to then FIFA president Sepp Blatter (86). Hargitay was also an advisor to Australia’s 2022 World Cup bid – a competitor to Qatar. The sheiks wanted to get material from Hargitay about the head of the Australian candidacy, Frank Lowy (92), and pass it on to the FBI.
According to SRF, Hargitay already filed a criminal complaint in Zurich in 2012. The public prosecutor dropped the case eight years later “due to insufficient investigative approach”.
At FIFA, nothing seems to have been noticed about the espionage. In an interview with SRF, former president Sepp Blatter (86) says: “I was surprised that there was an organized spy affair in FIFA. And it’s worrying that you’re doing that.”
The current FIFA leadership around Gianni Infantino (52), who temporarily lives in Qatar, sees it more relaxed. At the beginning of October, she informed CH Media: “We do not make any statements about assumptions and rumors that affect third parties”. (sf)