Prosecutors appeal in case against 2006 World Cup organizers

Theo-Zwanziger

FIFA Executive Committee member Theo Zwanziger. (Keystone,Ennio Leanza/AP)

FRANKFURT — German prosecutors have appealed against a court’s decision to reject tax evasion charges against three people involved in organizing the 2006 World Cup.

The charges against Theo Zwanziger, Wolfgang Niersbach and Horst R. Schmidt are linked to a payment to FIFA. The Frankfurt state court decided last week not to go ahead with a trial, saying that it saw insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.

News agency dpa reported that Frankfurt prosecutors say they have filed an appeal to a higher court in the city.

The three were accused of falsifying tax returns on behalf of the German soccer federation in 2006. The men deny the charges.

Allegations in a broader case are also being investigated by Swiss federal prosecutors and the FIFA ethics committee.

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