The district attorney's office in Karlsruhe is investigating the head of one of the World Cup sponsors. Utz Claassen, chief executive of the EnBW energy group, is suspected of giving away free match tickets allocated to his company in its role as an official World Cup backer to politicians and other government employees.

"Sponsors are absolutely not allowed to grant advantages to public representatives, with whom they have possible official ties," Karlsruhe District Attorney Rainer Bogs told German television. Such interaction between sponsors and government employees or politicians is against German law.

The district attorney has been investigating a number of politicians in the state of Baden-Württemberg for several months, including the Economics Minister Ernst Pfister. According to Bogs, they reacted "positively" to offers of free match tickets.

Politicians becoming wary of free tickets

The Karlsruhe investigations have had an influence on the invitation procedures to the 64 World Cup games. The World Cup's 21 sponsors, the organizing committee (OK) and those companies which have bought themselves VIP status decide on these invitations.

OK Vice President Wolfgang Niersbach said ministers, parliamentarians and communal politicians were increasingly turning down complementary tickets.

"There is apparently fear that they will get mail from the district attorney just for accepting an invitation," Niersbach told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

Niersbach dismissed the suggestion that by giving politicians tickets,companies may be accused of attempting to buy favors.

"It is grotesque and absurd that anyone who invites guests to World Cup matches or who receives an invitation is accused of having dishonest intentions," Niersbach said.

Sponsors buy their tickets

EnBW is one of six national supporters. With payments totaling 60 million euros ($76.1 million) to the OK, these sponsors purchased 135,000 tickets to the 64 games. Some of these tickets are distributed via raffles and other PR drives.

Together with FIFA's 15 sponsors, some 500,000 of the World Cup's three million tickets went to 21 companies. The 15 FIFA sponsors each paid 40 million euros for marketing rights.

Legal experts suggest that public officials are on the safe side if they turn down the ticket or simply pay for it.