Prosecutors charge FIFA's ex-marketing agents

BERNE, Switzerland, Mar 7 (Reuters) A group of managers of FIFA's former sports marketing agency ISL have been charged with embezzlement and fraud.

Swiss state prosecutors said today they had filed charges with a regional criminal court in Zug, where ISL was based.

No date has yet been set for a hearing, and the prosecutors said they would not reveal the names of the managers, or say how many were charged.

The agency International Sport and Leisure (ISL) collapsed in May 2001, with estimated debts of at least 300 million dollar.

The charges announced today involve an estimated 100 million dollar.

ISL managed the marketing and television rights of world soccer's governing body FIFA for more than 20 years.

This work included marketing and television rights management for the World Cup finals.

ISL went into bankruptcy amid allegations it had bribed sports officials to secure lucrative contracts.

PRELIMINARY FINDINGS The charges announced on Wednesday are based on the preliminary findings of investigating magistrate Thomas Hildebrand, who concluded his four-year investigation into the firm's collapse in 2005.

State prosecutor Marc von Dach told Reuters all the accused were former employees of ISL or its parent group ISMM.

He added that no former or current FIFA employees were among those under investigation.

Von Dach said the court would examine the evidence and seek written responses from the accused.

Their names are likely to be published only when the court has agreed to hold a trial.

The investigation into ISL's affairs was originally launched following a complaint by FIFA.

Shortly after the agency collapsed, FIFA accused its parent company ISMM Group of not having forwarded monies generated by the licence contracts and instead using the revenue to cover its own financial commitments.

In June 2004, FIFA said it was no longer interested in pursuing a criminal investigation but would rather pursue ISL's management through the civil courts.

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