adminNEW YORK. — Fifa whistle-blower Chuck Blazer has admitted conspiring with others to accept bribes during the World Cup bidding processes in 1998 and 2010 in yet another massive blow to FIFA.
Blazer has pleaded guilty to US corruption charges and a transcript of his plea emerged last night.
Although sections in the testimony released yesterday have been redacted it includes a number of stunning admissions.
It includes the claim that he and others agreed in 1992 to accept bribes over the World Cup, which was later awarded to France.
In the 40-page document, Blazer tells the court that he and other members of the FIFA executive committee took bribes between 2004 and 2011 and helped South Africa land the 2010 World Cup.
Blazer also describes taking bribes for his influence in awarding the 1998 World Cup to France.
“During my association with FIFA and C0NCACAF, among other things, I and others agreed that I or a co-conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity,” Blazer agrees under oath.
“Among other things, I agreed with other persons in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with the selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup.”
“During my association with FIFA and CONCACAF, among other things, I and others agreed that I or a co-conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity.
“Beginning in or about 1993 and continuing through the early 2000s, I and others agreed to accept bribes and kickbacks in conjunction with the broadcast and other rights to the 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2003 Gold Cups.
“Beginning in or around 2004 and continuing through 2011, I and others on the FIFA executive committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup.
“Among other things, my actions described above had common participants and results.”
Blazer, 70, pleaded guilty in 2013 to conspiracy to commit racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering, income tax evasion and failure to report foreign bank accounts, authorities have said. His guilty plea was recently unsealed after 14 more people were indicted in the United States in connection with the massive scandal.
At one point, Blazer was the No. 2 man in the soccer governing organization for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.
He had amassed $11 million in unreported income, said Richard Weber, director of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
Once the government cornered him with the tax evasion allegations, Blazer reportedly wore a hidden microphone to record other soccer officials at the 2012 London Olympics. Blazer left CONCACAF in 2011 and FIFA two years later.
Meanwhile, Reports in Brazil have confirmed that Sebastian Valcke, whose father is under huge pressure to resign after being linked to US$10million payments to Jack Warner, was an employee at the CBF and earned around £50,000 per year.
Gilberto Ratto, director at the CBF, told ESPN.com.br that there was no undue pressure to hire Valcke’s son:
“His hiring was not done at the request of (Jerome) Valcke . . . I don’t know his father and I didn’t receive any recommendation from him to hire him.”
FIFA have spent the week trying to distance themselves from CONMEBOL and the individual South American federations after an FBI investigation indicted several key figures in the region’s football governance.
Former CBF president Jose Maria Marin and Paraguayan chief Nicolas Leoz are two of the continent’s heavyweights being investigated by the American authorities on charges of bribery, kickbacks and racketeering.
Valcke yesterday denied any wrong-doing.
“I have nothing to blame myself for and I certainly do not feel guilty so I do not even have to justify my innocence,” said the FIFA boss — Daily Mirror/CNN
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