Agence France-Presse
New York, Dec 16: Two prominent Latin American football officials pleaded not guilty in a court here 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.
Thirty nine people and two companies have dso far been charged by US authorities in connection with the multimillion-dollar corruption scandal that erupted at FIFA earlier this year in May.
Napout, a 57-year-old Paraguayan, was arrested earlier this month in another raid on the five-star Baur Au Lac hotel and extradited to the United States earlier Tuesday, escorted by two US police officers, appearing in court just hours later. He however, pleaded not guilty to five charges of racketeering and bribery offenses.
FIFA, keen to be seen as cleaning up its act, has suspended Napout and Callejas, 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 a blue sweater and black pants, Napout was released on bail of $20 million. His next hearing will be March 16 and he will be under house arrest. “He pleads not guilty,” his attorney John Pappalardo told the court Tuesday
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 TV and Marketing Committee, is accused of receiving $1.6 million in bribes between March 2011 and January 2013 for broadcast rights of games played by the Honduran national team.
US prosecutors have vowed to leave no stone unturned in their quest to root out graft at FIFA.