Jose Hawilla, the founder of the Traffic agency, admitted to a judge in December that he paid bribes regularly from at least as early as 1991, according to court papers that were unsealed on Wednesday.
Hawilla pleaded guilty at the hearing to four corruption-related counts. He told US District Judge Raymond Dearie in New York that bribes had been necessary to secure contracts for Traffic.
“I knew that this conduct was wrong. I repent very much and apologise for what I did,” Hawilla said during the hearing on December 12, 2014.
The earliest alleged bribe described by Hawilla took place in 1991 and involved “an official associated with” football’s global governing body Fifa for rights to the Copa America national team tournament.
“Even though I didn't want to, I agreed to pay the bribe to that official,” Hawilla said. The name of that official was not disclosed in the unsealed transcript.
Hawilla has already agreed to forfeit over $151m (€133m) and his agreement with US authorities has outlined a plan for him to sell his shareholding in Traffic.