Ex-FIFA big Burga cleared in bribe rap

AN EX-SOCCER president from Peru scored a legal win by beating charges in the FIFA corruption trial that took down two other soccer bigs.

Jurors in Brooklyn Federal Court handed Manuel Burga, 60, a belated Christmas gift on Tuesday morning with an acquittal of a racketeering conspiracy charge — a week after the same jury found two co-defendants guilty of the same charge.

Juan Angel Napout, 59, and Jose Maria Marin, 85, were found guilty on multiple counts last week.

Prosecutors said the trio were part of a scam where officials traded lucrative commercial rights on soccer games for millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.

The officials were paid more than $21 million to game the system — $10.5 million for Napout, $6.5 million for Marin and $4.4 million said.

More than 40 people have been charged in the corruption case and over half have pleaded guilty to roles in the far-reaching graft.

The three men standing trial for Burga, prosecutors denied their own involvement, but did admit that greased palms were as much a part of international soccer as goals and corner kicks.

Boy bander Kevin Jonas made a star turn on the witness stand at the trial. He testified about a Paul McCartney concert he attended in Buenos Aires in 2010. Napout took a $10,000 ticket to the show as a bribe — and his lawyers tried to deny that the show even happened.

During the five-week trial, prosecutors claimed Burga was making throat-slicing gestures at a cooperating witness.

His attorney, Bruce Udolf, said his client was touching a rash on his neck.

When the jurors announced their Friday verdicts for Napout, of Paraguay, and Marin, of Brazil, they said they were still undecided on Burga.

Udolf told the Associated Press he knew Burga was innocent but had expected the jury to convict him anyway after they asked a question about wire fraud.

But on Tuesday, jurors concluded prosecutors couldn’t prove Burga was lining his pockets with millions in bribe money.

The decision left Udolf reportedly wanting to do cartwheels outside court.

Manuel Burga (right) smiles Tuesday after jury cleared him in soccer bribery case. Co-defendants Juan Angel Napout (top left) and Jose Maria Marin (bottom) were convicted.