The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has issued a press release in support of the US led investigation into FIFA and called for transparency in football, adding it joins the efforts to investigate corruption in the sport.
“The Argentine Football Association informs it supports and joins the investigations on FIFA and CONMEBOL representatives and members, sharing the football world’s concerns as regards transparency in our beloved sport,” the press release reads.
Yesterday, nine high-ranking soccer officials, including two current vice-presidents of world governing body FIFA, and five sports marketing executives were indicted on federal corruption charges by US law enforcement officials.
They were charged with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies as part of a scheme that spanned more than two decades.
Late Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona has also been implicated. The investigation claims he pocketed multi-million dollar bribes related to television rights.
Grondona, who passed away in July 2014 having been at the helm of Argentine football since 1979, would have taken a total of US$15m in illicit payments.
“AFA also informs that its contracts and incomes are all registered in the organization’s balance sheets. It will continue to adopt the necessary measures to clarify the situation, and it will be at the judiciary’s disposal for whatever needed,” the press release says, in relation to those accusations.
Other three Argentine citizens were implicated: Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo Jinkis and his son Mariano Jinkis allegedly conspired to win and keep hold of lucrative media rights contracts from regional soccer federations in exchange for $110 million in bribes.
The Argentine government said today Federal Judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi, in charge of Tribunal number 8, was examining US extradition requests for the three businessmen.
Seven FIFA officials, including current FIFA vice president and executive committee member Jeffrey Webb, were arrested yesterday.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald