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20 years

President of Costa Rica’s soccer federation amongst those arrested in major FIFA corruption scandal

May 27th, 2015 (VOA and InsideCostaRica.com) Football’s global governing body, FIFA, was rocked Wednesday by a massive U.S. federal corruption indictment against current and former top officials and the announcement of a separate investigation by Swiss authorities into allegations connected to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Several FIFA officials have been arrested in Zurich, including Eduardo Li56, of Costa Rica, president of the Costa Rican soccer federation (FEDEFUT).  Li is also a current FIFA executive committee member-elect and CONCACAF executive committee member. Li and the others arrested are expected to be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges.

The U.S. indictment includes 47 counts against 14 people, covering charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering, in a scheme that prosecutors said involved sports media executives paying or agreeing to pay more than $150 million in exchange for marketing rights to tournaments.

The Justice Department described it as a “24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer.”

Authorities in Zurich arrested seven FIFA officials Wednesday, and may face extradition to the United States.

The Justice Department said another four individuals have already pleaded guilty in the case.

Agents from the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service executed search warrants Wednesday in a raid at CONCACAF headquarters in Miami Beach, The Associated Press reported.

Neither the FBI nor the IRS would comment on the U.S. investigation into corruption in soccer. No one answered the phone at CONCACAF’s office in Miami Beach.

US cites ‘rampant’ corruption allegations

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch called the allegations “rampant, systemic and deep-rooted” corruption that “profoundly harmed a multitude of victims.”

“It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks,” Lynch said.

James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said the system of illegal payments and bribes “became a way of doing business at FIFA.”

In the Swiss case, federal prosecutors said they opened criminal proceedings against a group of individuals suspected of mismanagement and money laundering in connection with awarding the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.

A statement said authorities had seized data and documents from FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

FIFA’s ethics committee investigated similar allegations, and concluded in November that there were only “limited” ethics breaches and not sufficient evidence of bribery in awarding the tournaments.

‘Difficult’ moment for FIFA

FIFA said it is fully cooperating with both U.S. and Swiss authorities, and that it is in the “highest interest” of the organization that all questions are answered.

Walter De Gregorio, director of communication and public affairs, told reporters that the cases mark a “difficult moment” for FIFA, but that there will be no changes to the upcoming tournaments.

“The World Cup in 2018 and 2022 will be played in Russia and Qatar,” he said.

He also said FIFA “initiated” the process and confirmed that FIFA President Sepp Blatter is not involved in either investigation.

The executives arrested Wednesday were in Zurich for FIFA meetings that include a presidential vote that could give Blatter a fifth term. His challenger, Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, released a statement saying it was “a sad day for football.”

Top FIFA officials implicated

Those charged in the U.S. case include five corporate executives along with current FIFA Vice Presidents Jeffrey Webb and Eugenio Figueredo; former vice president Jack Warner; executive committee member-elect and president of the Costa Rican soccer federation, Eduardo Li; former committee member Nicolas Leoz; development officer Julio Rocha; Olympic tournament organizing committee member Jose Maria Marin; CONCACAF president attache Costas Takkas; and South American football federation president Rafael Esquivel.

Daryll Warn and Daryan Warner, sons of Jack Warner, are among those who have already entered guilty pleas along with Charles Blazer, former CONCACAF general secretary, and Jose Hawilla, founder of the Brazilian sports media company Traffic Group.

In addition to the allegations involving sports marketing bribes, the indictment includes alleged schemes related to bribes and kickbacks related to the Brazilian national soccer federation’s sponsorship by a U.S. sportswear company, the selection of the 2010 World Cup host and the 2011 FIFA presidential election.

 

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  • Ben

    Eduardo Li gave a ton of money to PLN politician during the Under 17 tournament. I wonder if EX prez Laura is going to be put in Jail soon. Ex Prez Laura and Li where very close. Li will spill the beans to save his own ass and OIJ will get very busy in CR if Li starts to talk.

    • prdatki

      I would love to see Dona Chiwawa and her crooked friend go to jail for a very long time!

      • Ben

        I just watched the US justice press confrence and Eduardo LI is mentioned everywhere and the US attorney general said that Costa Rican politician are going to be named soon. Expect PLN EX ministers to start hiding.

  • Yeims

    I hate to say this, but I personally think the real trick would be to find a governmental or quasi governmental entity that ISN’T corrupt in one way or another.

    • Ben

      CNN says Eduardo Li is a major player in giving kickbacks to Costa Rican Politians. PLN ex people are going to hide fast if the OIJ don´t move fast.

  • roberto

    The Fiscalia’s report on ex-footballer Rolando Fonseca is due very soon.

    • Ben

      I Forgot about Rolando Fonseca. Another friend of the PLN goverment.

    • Ben

      The word retirement is not adequate to describe the life of Rolando Fonseca Jimenez Francisco after leaving professional football.

      Fonseca and his PLN buddies are up to no good
      A few months after sweating their last 15 minutes with the senior team against China, in March 2011, during the inauguration of the National Stadium, Fonseca began to take shape a life of entrepreneur that one way or another led to the raid on his home by the Public Prosecutor against Organized Crime on 24 May.

      That day same day, the Directorate General of Taxation National Historic scorer.

      Business life. After leaving football, Fonseca’s life has been marked by a dynamic economic and commercial activity, as is apparent from a study made public documents The Nation with the National Registry and the Notarial Archives.

      Between August and December 2011, he created five corporations Fonseca with his brother Nelson, who runs a gym futsal in Moravia.

      He also became president five other companies, including the owner of the house 63 residential Valle del Sol, Santa Ana, where the Colombian Gabriel Morales Fallon questioned lives.

      Since 2011, Fonseca has left the country 31 times, according to Immigration.

      In July 2011, the former player was named treasurer of Panamanian society Gaius Duilius, SA, with Camilo Monroy, member of the Colombian Morales Fallon’s wife, Catalina Mejía Acevedo.

      That same month, he appeared before the Cantonal Committee of Sports of Santa Ana to propose a project for a sports academy.

      “He had a football school I believe that was in Pozos-, but wanted to strengthen the training of talents and training the boys could go to the United States. He said he had contacts with gringo universities. It also spoke of the possibility of a sponsorship with Claro, who paid for his image. In the end, everything went in the air, “recalled Marcia González, then president of the committee.

      In November 2011, Fonseca joined the country a partnership with Venezuelan Ernesto extenista Thomas Anderson, who operates in the United States a business recruitment and placement of athletes in universities in that country.

      At that time, the former player rented a house in Valle del Sol, although he owned a house in Escazu he bought years ago and which, in 2007 borrowed at Scotia Bank for $ 141,000.

      In October 2011 he sold the property for $ 352,000 to businessman Antonio Rodriguez Aguilar. As part of the payment he received a 2007 Dodge Ram and Chevrolet Tahoe in 2008, according to Aguilar hereby confirmed.

      Since 2011, Fonseca has left the country 31 times, according to Immigration.

      At the end of 2011, on December 27, with a power received from Camilo Monroy, Fonseca asked permission of the Ministry of Works and Transport for the stay in the country of a pleasure yacht brought from Panama to Los Suenos Marina, property Gaius Duilius society.

      Consultant What is dedicated Fonseca and exactly where your revenue? This media wanted to interview him about the subject, but his lawyer, Erick Ramos, said he did not give statements.

      In November 2012, the athlete told La Nacion that he is a “business broker”, a consultant who buys and sells businesses in Central America, thanks to the good name he did as a player.

      At that time he already had as an advisor to the firm Gas, Oil & Mining, which represents the country’s oil THX Energy, the company that.

      In the last year and a half, Fonseca took at least seven vehicles, but how to pay for them is different, at least since 2007, when he bought a Mitsubishi Montero for Veinsa agency for which he had to finance $ 24,970 that promised to pay in 60 monthly installments of $ 821 each.

      Nine months ago, however, the Autostar Fonseca Agency paid $ 203,000 for a Mercedes Benz G-Class 2013, an amount that, according to the deed of purchase, the seller gave members.

      The van was registered in the name of the company Strategic Investment Company, SA, which is president and generalissimo Fonseca attorney. In November 2012 he bought another truck, Mercedes Benz ML Style, 2004.

      This year, January 15, bought a Chevrolet Camaro Fonseca whose taxable value is ¢ 18.5 million.

      The next day, the 16th, he bought a sport bike Honda VFR 800, as shown in the deed of purchase that made the lawyer Braulio Murillo Segura.

      Financing. It is common Fonseca and his wife used some of these vehicles to borrow money in the short term.

      For example, the March 27, 2012, both attended the entrepreneur Mario Francisco Leiva asking $ 25,000 and began to answer the Dodge Ram.

      “It was a one-month loan term and paid me no problem,” Leiva told La Nacion.

      In March this year, Fonseca asked for $ 25,000 to the firm Opa Group, also had one month and which put his Camaro warranty.

      The most recent loan was registered on Tuesday, May 28, when Fonseca’s wife, Gabriela Lépiz, asked for $ 15,000 a lender Rafael Jiménez Obando, by which is answering the Dodge Ram.

      In that case, the loan runs until August, with an interest rate of 7% per month.

      Late last year, the former player moved his family to a new house in Valle del Sol. Although remodeled, it is unknown whether he bought or rented. Currently, the property appears in the name of an American citizen by the name of Hernandez.

      Fonseca is not registered as a resident owner of the HOA in Residencial Parque Valle del Sol (Aspropol), although membership is not mandatory, he told this newspaper CEO Rosanna Venegas

  • Ben

    The United States is the only nation who can tackle FIFA. Well done Attorney General and DOJ!!

    • SDPUS

      A brilliant plan by DOJ to go after FIFA. It should lead to a TON of government corruption. Let’s see how these cards are played out. Futbol is the world largest game. Corruption is the worlds biggest problem.

  • Ben

    The US citizen aka
    Chuck Blazer that stole 10 million is such a great guy. FIFA makes the mafia look good.

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