Former Costa Rica football chief admits to taking bribes in US court

NEW YORK: A former Costa Rican Football Federation president charged in a United States corruption probe involving the sport’s global governing body FIFA pleaded guilty, admitting he took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.

Eduardo Li (pic), also a former member of the executive committee for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf ) pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to charges including wire fraud and racketeering conspiracy.

In court, Li said as president of Costa Rica’s Football Federation (FEDEFUT), he accepted bribes to award contracts for media and marketing rights for matches and for sponsoring team uniforms.

“I knew that it was wrong of me to accept such undisclosed payments,” Li said through a Spanish interpreter.

Li, who prior to his indictment was a member-elect to FIFA’s executive committee, also agreed to forfeit US$668,000 (RM2.7mil).

Li, 57, is one of 42 individuals and entities charged in a US investigation that has rocked FIFA. He was among seven football officials arrested at a Zurich luxury hotel in May 2015.

US prosecutors allege Li and others engaged in schemes involving over US$200mil (RM830mil) in bribes and kickbacks that were sought and received by football officials for marketing and broadcasting rights to tournaments and matches.

Seventeen people and two entities have pleaded guilty.

In court on Friday, Li said he negotiated a US$500,000 (RM2.08mil) bribe, of which US$300,000 (RM1.2mil) he actually received, to award a Miami-based unit of Brazil’s Traffic Group media and marketing rights for 2022 World Cup qualifier matches.

Li said he also agreed to accept a separate US$500,000 bribe, US$230,000 (RM954,730) of which he received, from Panama-based intermediaries in exchange for awarding a US company a contract to be the Costa Rican national team’s uniform sponsor.

Li added the intermediaries asked him to not tell the company about the bribes.

While he did not name the company, the deal matched the description of one announced in 2015 with Boston-based New Balance.

New Balance said in a statement it plans to cooperate with authorities should they contact the company.

Li said he also accepted bribes in connection with friendly matches a Florida-based individual organised, and embezzled US$90,000 (RM373,590) FIFA sent FEDEFUT for the 2014 Under-17 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament in Costa Rica. — Reuters