Bribes involved awarding the World Cup matches to South Africa in 2010, to Russia in 2018 and to Qatar in 2022
Do you like soccer? Millions of people all over the world love it passionately. It is called football everywhere but in our country. It is not uncommon for riots to break out in the spectator stands during matches between teams from England and France and teams from Brazil and Argentina. Many football fans have been injured and some have been killed during the riots.
FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) is the equivalent of the NFL in that it is the governing body of international football leagues. Running FIFA is a big business. It is also a corrupt business. Seven FIFA executives were busted in Switzerland today, accused of taking more than $150 million in bribes during the past 24 years.
The arrests came as the result of separate but parallel investigations by the FBI and Swiss authorities. The seven FIFA execs were busted while living it up at Zurich’s swank five-star hotel Baur au Lac. Those arrested were:
Jeffrey Webb, 50, FIFA vice president.
Eugenio Figueredio, 83, former president of the South American football federation.
Costas Takkas, 58, former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association and current advisor to Jeffrey Webb.
Jose Maria Marin, 83, vice president of the Brazil Football Federation and member of the FIFA organizing committee for the Olympic football tournaments.
Julio Rocha, 64, FIFA development officer in charge of helping member associations identify and implement future projects within their respective regions.
Eduardo Li, 56, FIFA executive committee member-elect and current CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) executive committee member.
Rafael Esquivel, 69, South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) executive committee member.
Also charged in the U.S. indictment but not yet arrested is Jack Warner, 72, former FIFA vice president and Niccolas Leoz, 86, former president of CONMEBOL.
Bribes involved awarding the World Cup matches to South Africa in 2010, to Russia in 2018 and to Qatar in 2022. And, according to Mail Online, the FBI has charged 14 defendants - nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives - with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in connection with bribes 'totaling more than $150m' linked to commercial deals dating back to the 1990s for football tournaments in the United States and Latin America.
The FBI was able to develop its investigation with the help of New York resident Chuck Blazer who in 2013 secretly pled guilty to a total of 10 counts, including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering, income tax and banking offenses. Blazer, 70, former FIFA executive committee member, cooperated with the FBI by wearing a wire to meetings with FIFA officials.
How about that all you soccer moms? Your kids are enrolled in a sport run by big-time crooks.
1 comment:
A pack of corrupt jerkoffs with a great deal of economic power decided to wield some of that power in a manner that brought them personal enrichment. No surprise. I wonder how much Bill and Hillary Clinton made on the deal?
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