Corruption On-Going In Soccer World

While the rest of the world watches all the problems that are unfolding in Syria and surrounding countries the world according to FIFA is still facing allegations of corruption from the top level’s in charge.

With the members of FIFA’s executive committee set to vote on reforming or fixing soccer’s scandalous governing body, it should be know that Swiss government agents were planning a second wave of arrests.

Five (current) and former members of FIFA’s ruling executive committee were among 16 other’s charged that included Kick-backs as well as taking bribes.

In a indictment that included an unsealed 92-count takes down an entire generation of soccer leaders in South America which is a part of FIFA and World Cup history as we know it.

Juan Angel Napout (Paraguay), President of the South American confederation (CONMEBOL) as well as Alfredo Hawit (Honduras) head of the North and Central American and Caribbean governing body (CONCACAF) were taken away by Swiss Federal Police.

The arrests were made at the Zurich’s Baur au Lac Hotel, which ironically is the same hotel where the raid took place in May of this year.

This happened prior to FIFA’s executive committee meeting to approve reform and transparency measures long resisted by soccer’s top leaders but ones that gained traction in the aftermath of the scandal.

Also charged was Ricardo Teixeira, President of Brazilian soccer from 1994-2012 who is a former son-in-law of Joao Havelange, who was FIFA’s president from 1974-98.

Guilty pleas were unsealed for former CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb and former executive committee member Luis Bedoya.

The 236-page indictment was handed up by a grand jury in New York on Nov. 25.

Eleven current and former members of FIFA’s executive committee have been charged in the investigation, which alleges hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal payments. The last three presidents of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL have been indicted.

Fourteen men were charged in May, when four additional guilty pleas were unsealed, with prosecutors alleging bribes involving the media and marketing rights for the Copa America, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, World Cup qualifiers and other competitions.

Eight more guilty pleas were unsealed Thursday, including three by men indicted in May: Webb, marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco and Jose Margulies, described by prosecutors as an intermediary.

Webb has been released on bail and is largely restricted to his home in Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud conspiracy and three counts of money laundering conspiracy.

He agreed to forfeit more than $6.7 million and is a citizen of the Cayman Islands.

Zorana Danis (the only woman to plead guilty) is the co-founder and owner of New Jersey-based International Soccer Marketing Inc., admitted to wire fraud conspiracy and filing false tax returns, and agreed to forfeit $2 million.

Apparently this is somewhat like a script that was written in “Hollywood” – only they would come up with a better ending!!