Four men plead guilty in US soccer corruption probe including former US chief Blazer

ZURICH – Four men have already pleaded guilty in the U.S. soccer corruption investigation involving bribes totalling more than $100 million.

Chuck Blazer, for nearly two decades the most senior American official at FIFA, the world soccer body, was among those whose guilty pleas were unsealed Wednesday by U.S. authorities.

Blazer had pocketed millions of dollars in marketing commissions and avoided paying taxes. He has been a co-operating witness for the FBI since leaving soccer in 2013 and has forfeited almost $2 million.

U.S. officials say guilty pleas were also given by Daryan Warner and Daryll Warner, the sons of former senior FIFA official Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago; and Jose Hawilla, an executive of the Brazil-based sports marketing firm Traffic Sports. U.S. officials say Hawilla has agreed to forfeit over $151 million.

They face maximum jail terms of incarceration of 20 years for “the RICO conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering and obstruction of justice charges.”

A total of seven soccer officials were arrested Wednesday in a probe of “rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted” corruption.

Only hours later, Swiss prosecutors opened criminal proceedings into FIFA’s awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

FIFA, meanwhile, said Friday’s presidential election would go ahead as planned with Sepp Blatter going for a fifth term. Blatter was not named in either investigation.

FIFA also ruled out a revote of the World Cups won by Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.

The Swiss prosecutors’ office said in a statement they seized “electronic data and documents” at FIFA’s headquarters on Wednesday as part of their probe. And Swiss police said they will question 10 FIFA executive committee members who took part in the World Cup votes in December 2010.

The Swiss investigation against “persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering” again throws into the doubt the integrity of the voting.

“FIFA is fully co-operating with the investigation and is supporting the collection of evidence in this regard,” FIFA said in a statement.

The Swiss prosecutors’ office said the U.S. probe was separate from its investigation but that authorities were working together.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is also a FIFA executive committee member, told The Associated Press “we’ve got nothing to hide.”

“We’re prepared to show everything,” Mutko said in a telephone interview. “We’ve always acted within the law.”

Qatari soccer officials declined to comment.

The U.S. case involves bribes “totalling more than $100 million” linked to commercial deals dating back to the 1990s for soccer tournaments in the United States and Latin America, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice said.

Dozens of soccer officials are in Switzerland for the FIFA congress and presidential election, where Blatter is widely expected to win re-election at the helm of the governing body of world soccer.

Blatter had been scheduled to attend a meeting of the Confederation of African Football in a different downtown Zurich hotel, but he cancelled his appearance.

Blatter’s only opponent in Friday’s presidential election, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, said it was “a sad day for football,” but declined to comment further.

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