Qatar’s Khelaifi provided Valcke with a €7 million villa

The Italian police announced on Friday that they are investigating Paris Saint Germain and beIN media group’s Qatari chief executive, Nasser al-Khelaifi, for corruption after he facilitated the use of a 7 million euros villa in Sardinia to former FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke.

The news comes one day after the Swiss Attorney General’s office announced an investigation into Khelaifi and Valcke over a broadcasting rights deal for the FIFA World Cup matches.

The Italian police confirmed the search and confiscation of ‘Villa Bianca’ located in the Porto Cervo area of northeastern Sardinia as part of the international corruption inquiry.

Police said that the search was conducted in the presence of Swiss officials and was utilized to facilitate corruption for the right to receive FIFA World Cup television broadcasting rights between 2018 and 2030.

An international real-estate firm, police added, owns the villa and members were questioned.

The Swiss prosecutor's office announced on Thursday that it had opened an investigation in March against al- Khelaifi and Valcke over suspicion of corruption. The charges include bribery , fraud and forgery.

Jerome Valcke is suspected of receiving undue contributions from a ‘businessman’.

The investigation involves four countries, France, Greece, Italy and Spain and inspections were carried out simultaneously in these locations, the Swiss Attorney General’s office added.