Corruption scandal: Two FIFA vice presidents arrested

CONCACAF President, Alfredo Hawit and CONMEBOL President, Juan Angel Napout were among a number of FIFA officials arrested early Thursday morning by Swiss authorities, The New York Times reports.

The new series of arrests, which took place at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich​, come at the behest of an ongoing U.S. investigation into corruption in international soccer, according to the report. The new proceedings follow the May arrests of several top soccer officials at the same hotel.

Hawit was named acting president of CONCACAF after previous president Jeffrey Webb was charged with racketeering, money laundering and fraud by the U.S. Department of Justice in May. Webb was among the FIFA officials detained during the May raid at Baur au Lac.

Other notable arrests Thursday morning include those of the former and current president of the Brazil Soccer federation, Ricardo Teixeira and Marco Polo del Nero, The Times also reported.

More than a dozen people are expected to be charged in the new round of arrests, according to The Times. Current and former leading soccer officials will reportedly face a variety of corruption charges.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now