U.S. prosecutors are charging ex-soccer official Ariel Alvarado of Panama in the next stage of their sweeping criminal case over allegations of corruption in the sport, sources familiar with the matter said.
Alvarado led Panama’s football federation from 2000 to 2011 and served on the executive committee of CONCACAF, which administers football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
U.S. authorities will name 16 new defendants in an indictment set to be unveiled on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice, a law enforcement source said.
Argentine media reported that U.S. officials have requested the arrest of Argentine national Jose Luis Meiszner, the secretary general of South America’s CONMEBOL football confederation.
Former Panama football boss rejects FIFA corruption accusations
The former president of the Panama Football Federation, Fepafut, Ariel Alvarado, has rejected allegations of bribery made against him in the FIFA corruption scandal.
“I am astonished. I have a personal responsibility as sports leader and family man. I am sure that the accusations will be clarified in the good name of football and of my family,” Xinhua quoted Alvarado as saying in a statement on Friday.
Meanwhile, current Fepafut president Pedro Chaluja said Alvarado is personally under investigation and not the institution itself.
“We do not know any details of the economic situation of the institution under Alvarado’s direction. He and his team had centralised management of accounting information,” said Chaluja.
However, Chaluja added that Fepafut is willing to fully collaborate with the investigation.
Alvarado was president of Fepafut between 2000 and 2011 as well as serving on the executive committee of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf).
Robert Capers, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District, has earlier accused Alvarado of making suspicious transactions worth around $230,000.
Alvarado is also suspected of taking two alleged bribes related to the broadcasting rights for Panama’s qualifying matches ahead of the 2010 South Africa World Cup and 2014 Brazil World Cup. (IANS)