3 corrupt FIFA officials sentenced to life

FIFA's Ethics Committee on November 21 issued life bans for three former football officials convicted of corruption.

Three officials Richard Lai, Rafael Esquivel and Julio Rocha (from left to right) have just been banned for life by FIFA due to a corruption scandal.

According to AFP, the three officials sanctioned include: Rafael Esquivel (former vice president of the South American Football Confederation and former president of the Venezuelan Football Federation), Julio Rocha (former president of the Nicaraguan Football Federation) and Richard Lai (former president of the Guam Football Federation). Mr. Lai and Mr. Esquivel were members of the FIFA audit and football development committees, respectively. These former officials have previously pleaded guilty to corruption and are awaiting the verdict of the FIFA corruption trial taking place in New York (USA).

“The committee has found Mr Lai, Mr Rocha and Mr Esquivel in breach of article 21 of the FIFA Code on bribery and corruption. Officials are prohibited from football activities at national and international level,” a statement from the FIFA Ethics Committee said. The three officials are among 42 officials and marketing executives indicted by the US Department of Justice in an investigation into corruption in world football, AFP reported.

In November last year, Mr. Esquivel pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for awarding media and marketing rights to major regional soccer tournaments such as World Cup qualifiers and the Copa America. Similarly, in December last year, Mr. Rocha admitted to paying $1.5 million in bribes. Meanwhile, Mr. Lai admitted in April to corruption-related wrongdoing, including the “buying” of votes ahead of the FIFA elections.

The US Justice Department investigation into FIFA was announced in May 2015, when it uncovered the biggest scandal in world football history. The trial in the case began earlier this week in New York and is expected to last five to six weeks.

In addition to the football officials who have pleaded guilty and are awaiting a verdict, the focus of this trial is on three former wealthy and powerful officials of South American football accused of receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes, including: Jose Maria Marin (former President of the Brazilian Football Confederation), Manuel Burga (former President of the Peruvian Football Confederation) and Juan Angel Napout (former Vice President of FIFA and President of the South American Football Confederation).

According to TNO