Imagina, the operator of the Mediapro agency, will appoint a new management team at its Media World Sports affiliate company after two of its executives were suspended on allegations of corruption surrounding football rights.
Imagina said that Irantzu Díez Gamboa had been appointed as general manager of Imagina US with immediate effect and would start his new role on Monday. He had previously been serving as general manager of Grupo Globomedia in Spain.
“The announcement follows the suspension of Roger Huguet, the chief executive of Media World Sports, and Fabio Tordin, a Media World Sports executive, following yesterday's announcement by the US Department of Justice of the pair's guilty pleas last month to conspiracy to commit wire and tax fraud and launder money in connection with the investigation of (football’s global governing body) Fifa by the US,” Imagina said today (Friday).
Imagina added that it would cooperate fully with the investigating authorities.
“The group will do everything in its power to clarify the circumstances in which these events have taken place and assign whatsoever responsibilities are necessary for the actions of each of the individuals accused,” the company said.
FBI agents searched the Miami offices of Media World yesterday. Following the searches, Imagina said that any of its staff found to have engaged in “illegal activity” would be dismissed.
In July, Imagina categorically denied any involvement in an investigation into allegations of football rights corruption after Reuters reported that Media World was one of the unnamed sports marketing companies to have been allegedly implicated by the US Department of Justice in the scandal immersing the sport.