Share

Former FIFA official sentenced in bribery scandal

Share

NEW YORK (AP) — A former FIFA official from Guatemala who was cooperating in the U.S. investigation of corruption in international soccer’s governing body was sentenced on Thursday to time served.

Ex-Guatemalan soccer chief Rafael Salguero had been under house arrest since 2016 while providing information to prosecutors in a sprawling case accusing several soccer officials of accepting more than $200 million dollars in bribes.

Salguero, who had pleaded guilty to corruption charges in a sealed proceeding, told a federal judge in Brooklyn on Thursday that he was “deeply regretful” about his involvement.

According to a transcript of his plea that was unsealed earlier this week, the 73-year-old Salguero claimed that while on FIFA’s executive committee in 2010, he was approached by someone seeking to buy his vote deciding which country would get hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup.

He said he was told a wealthy person in Italy wanted to pay him “hundreds of thousands of dollars” to vote for a certain country, the name of which was blacked out of the transcript. He said even though he wanted the money, he was afraid of drawing attention to himself by going to Italy.

Trending:
Federal Judge Has Bad News for Hunter Biden, Says There's Zero Evidence His Charges Are Politically Motivated

After the vote awarding the tournament to Russia, he said he still tried to get the payment, but no one would return phone messages.

FIFA is seeking the return of 20 percent of the more than $4.1 million it says it paid Salguero in salary and benefits between 2009 and 2015. A restitution hearing was set for Feb. 6.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation