Share

FIFA calls for life ban for ex-CONCACAF president

Zurich - FIFA's ethics commission on Friday called for a life ban from football for the former head of the CONCACAF federation and former Honduras federation president Alfredo Hawit on corruption charges.

Hawit was extradited from Switzerland last January to the United States to face charges a month after his arrest in Zurich on the fringes of a FIFA executive committee meeting.

US prosecutors have accused the 65-year-old of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and money laundering in connection with the sale of broadcasting rights for tournaments in Latin America, including World Cup qualifiers when he was secretary general of the Honduran Football Federation between 2008 and 2014.

Hawit pleaded guilty to charges on four counts of conspiracy and obstructing justice last April at a Brooklyn court.

FIFA's top ethics investigator Dr Cornel Borbely had already called for the former president of Honduras, Rafael Callejas to be banned from football for life for his role in corruption scandals.

After leading the Central American republic of Honduras between 1990 and 1994, Callejas became president of the Honduran Football Association (FENAFUTH) in 2002, and also served on FIFA's marketing and television committee.

Callejas, who pleaded guilty last March and was president of his county between 1990 and 1994, was indicted by the US Department of Justice on fraud and racketeering charges pertaining to broadcasting rights for the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

A judgement will be given by the New York court in January 2017, but with his plea bargain he may escape a jail sentence.

FIFA have yet to state when their judgement will be announced.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Manchester City 0
Chelsea 0
loading... Live
Sekhukhune United FC 0
Cape Town Spurs FC 0
loading... Live
Orlando Pirates 0
AmaZulu 0
loading... Live
Sheffield United 1
Burnley 4
loading... Live
Luton Town 0
Brentford 4
loading... Live
Bulls 10
Munster 7
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1819 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1782 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE