Another day, another batch of FIFA arrests.
According to multiple reports, two FIFA officials, both confederation presidents, were arrested by Swiss authorities in a raid on a Zurich hotel early this morning on suspicion of bribery, and at least a dozen more people are expected to be charged.
Alfredo Hawit of Honduras and Juan Angel Napout of Parugay were detained on orders issued by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice on behalf of the US Department of Justice, which has been leading the investigation into widespread corruption of world soccer’s governing body.
Hawit was appointed acting president of CONCACAF after former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb was one of the many FIFA officials arrested at the same luxury Swiss hotel -- the Baur a Lac -- in May.
Napout is the president of CONMEBOL, the South American confederation. His two predecessors were also indicted in May.
CONCACAF issued a statement Thursday that reads in part:
“CONCACAF continues to cooperate with all government authorities in their investigations to the fullest extent.
“CONCACAF remains committed to implementing fully the Reform Framework that it announced in July of this year. The majority of these reforms have already been implemented in CONCACAF’s administrative and compliance structures.
“Today’s developments only strengthen the confederation’s resolve in continuing to enact significant structural and governance changes to the organization, including substantial amendments to its statutes and fundamentally changing how it conducts business.”
US Soccer also released a statement to assure people that the arrests will have no impact on their hosting of next summer’s Copa América Centenario:
“Today’s events involving individual members of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL in no way pierce the integrity of the rigorous safeguards the United States Soccer Federation required before agreeing to host Copa América Centenario that ensure the tournament is organized and conducted in a way that is open, transparent and above reproach.
“The new Executive Committee that was created to govern the tournament does not include these individuals, and they were never in a position to make decisions that would adversely impact those high standards.
“As the LOC for the tournament, the United States Soccer Federation remains fully focused on the organization and operation of the Copa América Centenario and conducting the tournament in the most professional and highly principled manner possible.”
