German prosecutors investigate handball president

Swiss authorities searched the International Handball Federation’s (IHF) Basel headquarters and IHF President Hassan Moustafa’s private residence on Wednesday.

The search took place at the request of German prosecutors who have launched an investigation into Moustafa and his role when sports marketing company Sportfive was awarded television rights for the World Championships between 2006 and 2009.

The prosecutor's office is investigating Moustafa on suspicion of "bribery and corruption due to irregularities in the marketing of sports rights,” as Reuters and other media reports have quoted press speaker Wilhelm Möller from the Hamburg Prosecutors office.

Three Hamburg addresses have also been searched in connection to the ongoing investigation which is focussing on two payments amounting to 602,000 Euros that Moustafa should have received in 2007 working as a consultant for Sportfive.

The secret contract was uncovered in early 2010 by German news magazine Der Spiegel, and suspicions were raised that the money was paid in return for the TV rights. Moustafa denied any wrongdoing at the time, but the IHF has so far not commended on the latest development.

Read the short Reuters telegram.

Read the report in the Financial Times Germany (in German).