The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has taken a new twist as football's world governing body FIFA lodged a criminal complaint with the Swiss judiciary Tuesday.
The complaint relates to the "international transfers of assets with connections to Switzerland, which merit examination by the criminal prosecution authorities," reports GHN based on CNN.
The FIFA statement added: "The subject of the criminal complaint is the possible misconduct of individual persons in connection with the awarding of the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup."
FIFA lodged the complaint with the Attorney General of Switzerland in Berne on the recommendation of German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert -- FIFA's independent ethics adjudicator.
"I lodged the criminal complaint upon the recommendation of Judge Eckert," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.
"I cannot, however, comment on any possible criminal offenses. I am not a lawyer.
"I also was not the addressee of the investigatory report, which I have never seen. However, given Judge Eckert's recommendation, it was my duty -- as the President of FIFA -- to lodge the complaint."
Eckert's recommendation was based on the evidence compiled by Michael Garcia -- chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee -- who has been examining the awarding of the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
However Blatter insisted there was no change to Eckert's statement "that the investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups is concluded."
Eckert, who is set to meet with Garcia on Thursday to discuss the report, says he came across "indications that pointed to suspected unlawful activity in connection with Switzerland."