The United States department of Justice in conjunction with
Swiss police have released new indictments following the 6.a.m arrests
of two FIFA Vice-presidents, Alfredo Hawit of Honduras and Juan Angel
Napout of Paraguay, in Zurich yesterday. A total of 16 officials have
been laced with fresh corruption charges for sums totalling $200million
dollars mostly relating to TV and marketing deals in north, south and
central America and the Caribbean.
The most shocking detail in the new indictment is the new
revelation involving officials who were indicted following arrests last
May namely Jack Warner and Jeffrey Webb who has already pleaded guilty
to seven charges, but this men in the most inhumane of professional
characters embezzled money meant for Haiti Relief victims..
Webb, a banker from the Cayman Islands, has pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud conspiracy and three counts of money laundering conspiracy. As part of his Webb's plea, he agreed to forfeit more than $6.7m dollars.
Warner diverted $750,000 in emergency funds donated by FIFA and the Korean Football Association intended for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. He is currently fighting extradition by U.S authorities from Trinidad to the USA.
The indictment states: "The conspirators' corruption of the
enterprise extended beyond the payment and receipt of bribes and
kickbacks.
"FIFA's provision of money - which totalled in the hundreds
of millions of dollars - to its member associations in connection with
the Goal Program, Financial Assistance Program (FAP), and other programs
created opportunities for officials to embezzle or otherwise
fraudulently appropriate funding intended to benefit FIFA's member
associations and their constituent organisations, including youth
leagues.
"Certain of the defendants and their co-conspirators,
including the defendant Jack Warner and Jeffrey Webb, took advantage of
these opportunities and embezzled or otherwise personally appropriated
funds provided by FIFA, including funds intended for natural disaster
relief."
US attorney general Loretta Lynch speaking in Washington DC said : "The betrayal of trust is truly outrageous."
Speaking to FIFA Officials she said,
"You will not wait us out and you will not escape our focus."
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