By Paul Nicholson
September 2 – Ricardo Teixeira, the former FIFA executive committee member and head of the Brazilian football federation (CBF) for 23 years, has applied and, according to reports, been granted residency in Andorra. The landlocked micro-state in the Pyrennees, bordered by Spain and France, does not have an extradition treaty with Brazil, effectively putting Teixeira out of the reach of any potential Brazilian court summons.
Teixeira was one of the most powerful men in world football until March 2012, when he resigned from his football positions citing ill health. He had at one point been the leader of Brazil’s 2014 World Cup organising committee.
The Brazilian has been followed by questions of his financial dealings wherever he has gone. In 2001, the Brazilian Congress investigated Teixeira on suspicion of 13 crimes, including tax evasion, money laundering and misleading lawmakers, but no charges were brought.
He was also implicated in the ISL scandals and in 2010, the Swiss Justice found that Teixeira had received millions of euros that were deposited into accounts in Andorra.
A close friend of Teixeira, Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, is believed to have facilitated the deal with the Andorran authorities. Rosell’s marketing company, Ailanto, received $4 million to organise a Brazilian national team friendly in 2008, according to Brazilian public prosecutors earlier this year.
The prosecutors claimed there had been no formal bidding for the rights and that a false document had been used to secure the deal.
Radio Catalunya has reported that a third of the income of the Brazilian national team friendlies ended up in Andorra banks.
The Brazilian national team friendlies were organised into an official tour in 2006 by rights sales agency Kentaro, marketed as the Nike world tour and sponsored by the appareil company. The team embarked on a series of friendlies around the world, hosted by federations or promoters who were prepared to pay the asking price – believed to be $10 million.
As a resident of Andorra, Teixeira will have to spend 150 days in the tax haven – though he will not have voting rights or, it is undertood, carry an Andorran passport.
To be accepted, Teixeira would have had to deposit at least €400 000 in the bank in the principality, But, according to the radio station, he was negotiating transfer of about €4.9 million.
By moving to Andorra, Teixeira has put himself beyond the reach of the Brazilian authorities, should they want to question him, as there is no extradition agreement between Andorra and Brazil (or the US). Andorra has attracted attention from the European authorities at various times because of its financial activities and its acceptance of money from undeclared sources worldwide
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