Former Honduran President Rafael Callejas has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges, admitting that he solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the wide-ranging Fifa football scandal over broadcast rights.
The 72-year-old, who was formerly a member of the television and marketing committee of world football’s governing body, entered the plea to racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy in Brooklyn federal court yesterday (Monday). He also agreed to forfeit $650,000 (€591,000), payable within a year, for his role in a scandal that has seen the US Department of Justice (DoJ) seal indictments for 42 individuals or entities in total.
According to the Associated Press news agency, Callejas said he distributed a significant portion of his bribes to delegates of the Honduran Football Federation (FENAFUTH) so he could retain its presidency, a position he held from 2002 to last August. Callejas, who was President of Honduras from 1990 to 1994, will be sentenced on August 5. He could face up to 40 years in prison.
Callejas said he abused his position to award contracts to Media World, a Miami-based sports marketing agency that paid bribes through US bank accounts to the foreign bank accounts of Callejas and a co-conspirator. In return, Callejas said Media World received media and marketing rights to the Honduran national team’s home World Cup qualifying matches for the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups.