The US trial of eight defendants charged in the wide-ranging corruption case involving football’s world governing body FIFA could commence in September or October next year, according to the federal judge overseeing the matter.
The Reuters news agency reported that Brooklyn’s U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie said federal prosecutors had wanted an early 2017 trial date, but due to the amount of evidence still being processed, September or October of next year was more realistic. The trial would involve seven former football officials and one ex-marketing executive who are among 42 individuals and entities charged so far in the case.
The eight defendants facing the potential trial next year include former FIFA officials and Executive Committee members Jose Maria Marin of Brazil, Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay, Eduardo Li of Costa Rica, and Julio Rocha of Nicaragua. Others include Miami-based sports marketing executive Aaron Davidson, Hector Trujillo, a judge from Guatemala and ex-official with its football federation, ex-Cayman Islands football official Costas Takkas, and ex-Venezuelan football official Rafael Esquivel. All eight defendants had previously pleaded not guilty.
The judge has called on the case to move forward, pointing to the fact that the first of the defendants appeared before him in May 2015. “At some point, we’re going to have to call it,” Dearie said.
Meanwhile, Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Norris said prosecutors expect to bring additional charges in the case, though he added it was “too early to say” if additional defendants would be charged. “Our ongoing investigation does continue,” Norris said. “It is quite active and quite broad.”
The defendants have been accused of engaging in schemes involving more than $200m (€182.1m) in bribes and kickbacks for marketing and broadcast rights to tournaments and matches.
In other news, FIFA has appointed Fabrice Jouhaud as its new chief communication officer. The Frenchman will take up his position on August 15 and will be part of FIFA’s management board. Prior to joining FIFA, Jouhaud held the position of chief executive of French digital-terrestrial television channel L’Équipe 21.
He is set to succeed Walter De Gregorio, who resigned in June 2015. De Gregorio took up the role in September 2011 and was a senior aide to former FIFA president, Sepp Blatter. However, he departed FIFA just days after making a joke about the world governing body on Swiss television.
De Gregorio had said: “The FIFA president, secretary general and communications director are in a car. Who’s driving? The police.”
Credit: SportBusiness
