Two FIFA vice-presidents were arrested Thursday on suspicion
of bribery as the U.S. Department of Justice struck again at the heart of
soccer’s scandal-hit governing body.
Swiss federal police led away Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay
and Alfredo Hawit of Honduras in a pre-dawn raid at the luxury Baur au Lac
hotel in downtown Zurich, the same place where arrests on May 27 sparked the
FIFA corruption crisis.
Their arrests marred a day FIFA hoped would be a milestone
in rebuilding its image as the widely discredited executive committee — minus
its two most senior Latin American officials — agreed to reforms designed to
protect it from corrupt officials.
More South American soccer officials were expected to be
named later Thursday by the DOJ in a second wave of charges following an
indictment in May which alleged a racketeering conspiracy among FIFA officials.
According to the U.S. arrest requests, they are suspected of
accepting bribes of millions of dollars. Some of the offences were agreed and
prepared in the USA. Payments were also processed via U.S. banks. The bribes
are linked to marketing rights for the Copa America, including the 2016 edition
hosted in the U.S. and World Cup qualifying matches.
Napout is president of the South American confederation
CONMEBOL and Hawit leads the North American regional body known as CONCACAF.
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