Swiss convict ex-banker in soccer corruption case

ZURICH (Reuters) - A former Swiss bank employee has been convicted for document forgery and failure to report suspected money laundering, prosecutors said on Friday, the first sentence in a Swiss criminal investigation surrounding FIFA, world soccer's governing body.

"The payments unlawfully obtained by the bank employee as a result of these offences, which amounted to $650,000, will be forfeited to the Swiss general treasury," Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General said in a statement.

Last week the OAG confirmed it was investigating a former bank employee linked to the FIFA probe. A source familiar with the matter said the person was Jorge Arzuaga, a former employee at Julius Baer.

Arzuaga, 56, of Argentina, pleaded guilty on Thursday to a U.S. money laundering conspiracy charge in connection with a probe into corruption in world soccer.

(Reporting by Joshua Franklin; Editing by Michael Shields)