Two FIFA vice presidents were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of bribery as the US Department of Justice struck again at the heart of football’s scandal-hit governing body.
Swiss federal police led away Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay and Alfredo Hawit of Honduras in a pre-dawn raid at the luxury Baur au lac hotel in downtown Zurich, the same place where arrests on May 27 sparked the FIFA corruption crisis.
Their arrests marred a day FIFA hoped would be a milestone in rebuilding its image as the widely discredited executive committee agreed to reforms designed to protect it from corrupt officials.
Napout and Hawit have opposed their extradition to the United States at Zurich police hearings, Switzerland’s justice ministry said in a statement.
“According to the US arrest requests, they are suspected of accepting bribes of millions of dollars,” the justice ministry said. “Some of the offences were agreed and prepared in the USA. Payments were also processed via US banks.”
The bribes are linked to marketing rights for the Copa America — including the 2016 edition hosted in the U.S. — and World Cup qualifiers.
Napout is president of the South American confederation CONMEBOl and Hawit leads the North American regional body known as CONCACAF.
They are the third past or current presidents of each continental body to be indicted by the DOJ in a case that has shattered the reputations of soccer leaders in the Americas.
“CONCACAF continues to cooperate with all government authorities in their investigations to the fullest extent,” the Miami-based governing body said in a statement.
The FIFA meeting did support some reforms in a process that responds to the dual American and Swiss federal investigations of corruption implicating FIFA leaders and which forced President Sepp Blatter to announce his resignation plans in June.
Modernizing changes include taking many decision-making powers from the executive panel, to be renamed the FIFA Council with more men and women members. Future presidents and council members will be limited to 12 years in office and face stricter integrity checks. FIFA’s 209 member federations must vote on the changes on Feb. 26.
FIFA defers decision
The FIFA executive committee has deferred a decision on expanding the World Cup to 40 teams starting at 2026.
The German soccer federation says the FIFA administration will have further talks about the plan, which is supported by Asia and Africa.
The idea to add eight teams was part of FIFA reform proposals being considered on Thursday. The 2026 bidding should start next year with United States, Canada and Mexico as expected candidates.