FIFA seeks life bans for two South American football officials

Zurich: FIFA's Ethics Committee on Thursday recommended life bans for two former vice-presidents of South American Football Confderation, CONMEBOL, over corruption. Luis Bedoya, a former member of the FIFA Executive Committee, a former CONMEBOL vice-president and, until October 2015 the President of the Colombian FA, and Sergio Jadue, a former vice-president of CONMEBOL and the former President of the Chilean FA, were targeted in reports by the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee.

The two reports, together with recommendations for life bans, have been sent to the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, which is chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert. In a statement, FIFA said that both Bedoya and Jadue had been subject to US Department of Justice investigations at the end of 2015 during which the men had waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging them with "racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy".

The Ethics Committee investigatory chamber recommended imposing on both Bedoya and Jadue a "lifelong ban on taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for an alleged violation of the general rules of conduct, loyalty, duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting, conflicts of interest, bribery and corruption and general obligation to collaborate".