Switzerland's sports ministry on Sunday confirmed reports that it is reviewing laws covering corruption in sport in the wake of the latest scandal to hit Zurich-based FIFA. The Swiss newspaper Sonntagszeitung reported that Swiss Defence and Sports minister Ueli Maurer had asked officials to examine the issue and report back with recommendations, with a view to possibly tightening the net.
"I can confirm the report," defence and sports ministry spokesman Martin Buehler told AFP. Apart from its own domestic sports associations, Switzerland is host to about 40 international federations such as world football's governing body, the European governing body UEFA, the International Olympic Committee and the International Cycling Union (UCI).
Federal Sports Office spokesman Christoph Lauener told the newspaper that the review was due to Switzerland's role as a host of international sports federations. "And corruption is in the meantime a bigger danger for sports and its image than doping," he added, with the growing commercialisation of sports.
International sports federations are covered by special hosting agreements granting dispensation from some local laws such as taxation, although FIFA is also registered as a non-profit association in Switzerland.
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