Duo plead not guilty in FIFA corruption scandal

NEW YORK — Two prominent Latin American football officials pleaded not guilty yesterday (Dec 16, Singapore time) in a New York court over their alleged roles in the corruption scandal engulfing the game’s graft-mired world governing body FIFA.

Rafael Callejas, who was president of Honduras from 1990 to 1994, and Juan Angel Napout, a FIFA vice president and former president of the South American football confederation CONMEBOL, are among a slew of current or former football officials charged with wrongdoing.

A total of 39 people and two companies have been charged by US authorities in connection with the multimillion-dollar corruption scandal that erupted at FIFA earlier this year when Swiss officials swooped on a luxury hotel in Zurich.

About a dozen have pleaded guilty over graft that dates back decades and has threatened to bring FIFA to its knees, along with its leadership.

Napout, a 57-year-old Paraguayan, was arrested earlier this month in another raid on the same five-star Baur Au Lac hotel and extradited to the United States yesterday, escorted by two US police officers, to New York.

Napout, who was arrested on Dec 3 alongside fellow FIFA vice president Alfredo Hawit of Honduras, pleaded not guilty to five charges of racketeering, conspiracy and corruption.

FIFA suspended both for 90 days.

They are accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes in return for selling marketing rights for regional tournaments and World Cup qualifying matches.

Dressed in blue sweater and black pants, Napout was released on bail of US$20 million (S$28.13 million). His next hearing will be on March 16, 2016 and he will be under house arrest.

In the same Brooklyn court, Callejas — who was head of the Honduras football federation until August this year — similarly denied his guilt. He faces eight charges and was remanded in custody.

The 72-year-old Callejas, a current member of FIFA’s Television and Marketing Committee, is accused of receiving US$1.6 million in bribes between March 2011 and January 2013 for broadcast rights of games played by the Honduran national team.

Callejas, who appeared in court wearing a checkered shirt and jeans, left Honduras on Monday on a private jet to face justice in the United States.

US prosecutors have vowed to leave no stone unturned in their quest to root out graft at FIFA.

Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey has said that those indicted had run corrupt schemes spanning decades. AFP