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“How do you pronounce that? “ In this Nov. 25, 2013, the issue of the Brooklyn Judge Raymond Dearie, about the acronym FIFA, spoke volumes about his knowledge at the time of the football environment. But since the judge was able to perfect his culture on the subject. This surreal conversation is taken from the minutes of the hearing that took place there eighteen months in New York. Chuck Blazer, former vice president of the body of world football, was heard in the course of the investigation on the case of corruption within FIFA. The document was declassified, Wednesday, June 4, by justice. We learn that Mr. Blazer confessed to the judge to have actually hit of bribes in order to influence the allocation of World Cup 1998 in France and 2010 in South Africa.
After pleading guilty, the man, then aged 68, declares: “Among other things, I agreed with others, around 1992 to facilitate the receipt of below- the-table in conjunction with the choice of the host country for the 1998 World Cup “, he acknowledges in the statement.
” The conspirator accepted the pot- bribes “
Another document, also published by the US court Wednesday evokes negotiations about the candidacy of Morocco for that World Cup 1998. Invited by the local bid committee, Mr Blazer was accompanied by another man whose name is not revealed in the documents. We learn that one of the representatives of the Bid Committee has offered money to the person who accompanied Mr. Blazer in exchange for his vote for Morocco. “The conspirator accepted the bribe to” indicates that document, which continues:
“After their trip, the accomplice asked Mr. Blazer contact the representatives of the Moroccan bid to determine when the payment would be made. Blazer spoke on the phone with them several times, including from the offices of CONCACAF in New York. “
Since then, the organization has moved to Miami. France had finally won the ballot by twelve votes against September
“I knew then that my actions were harmful”
The same routine was repeated at the occasion of the designation of the host of the World Cup 2010. This time candidates were Morocco, again, Egypt and South Africa. In preparing the vote, Mr Blazer was then member of the executive committee of FIFA and this time and it will directly affect of bribes. “I and others on the executive committee of FIFA, we have accepted in bribes in connection with the choice of South Africa to be the host country for the 2010 World Cup” , confessed Mr. Blazer in 2013 before Judge Dearie.
He also referred kickbacks related to five editions from 1996 to 2003, the Gold Cup, the main event organized by the CONCACAF, the Confederation of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, while there was general secretary, a position he held until 2011. He finally confessed to being guilty of tax evasion and facilitating money transfers on behalf of third parties to hide corruption. “I knew then that my actions were harmful” , has he appeared before Judge Dearie, having made it clear that the activities he exercised within FIFA took place including the US territory and it happened to go through American banks. “There are ten loads [hanging over you], if I’m not mistaken,” , concluded the judge. “That’s right” , replied Mr Blazer.
If the latter agreed to cooperate with the US justice from 2011, it is because services US tax and the FBI pursued him for tax evasion. The former head of FIFA had failed to declare the money he affected in connection with the case of bribes between 2005 and 2010. In particular, he produced false financial documents to avoid taxes.
A report of Sidley & amp law firm; Austin and showed the manager had received over $ 15 million in the form of commissions, fees and improperly collected rents. The report also highlighted the fact that Mr. Blazer led grand style with this money, which has served to pay rent for an apartment in the Trump Tower on V th Avenue in Manhattan and stays in Mondrian, a luxury Miami hotel. He was suspended by FIFA and had resigned from the Board in 2013.
liable to a sentence of twenty years in prison, Mr Blazer was forced to help the authorities resolve this corruption case including recording conversations with FIFA officials without their knowledge.
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