By Samindra Kunti
December 3 – FIFA’s ethics committee has begun an investigation into the Brazilian FA (CBF) president Marco Polo Del Nero. If guilty Del Nero can expected to be added to an increasingly long list of south American football chiefs either suspended or banned from all football-related activities.
The embattled Del Nero has recently been feeling the heat from Brazilian authorities and the FBI following the May dawn raid at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich in May. Del Nero was not indicted by the authorities in the FIFA corruption scandal, but he famously fled Zurich as his predecessor Jose Maria Marin, along with other high ranking football officials, was arrested on charges of corruption.
Marin, who pleaded not guilty to corruption charges, has in the meantime been extradited to the United States. The former CBF president is cash-strapped and struggling to meet the $1 million in cash required as part of his $15 million bail conditions.
Since May Del Nero has not left Brazil, fearing prosecution or detainment abroad. Brazil has no extradition treaty with the US. The head of Brazilian football has missed ten official functions of the national team.
Last week Del Nero resigned from FIFA’s executive committee after not attending meetings for six months. He was replaced by Fernando Sarney, the son of former Brazilian President José Sarney and the owner of Lookout Communication System, a conglomerate of radio and television stations in Maranhão.
Brazilian senator Romario also confirmed a probe into the CBF’s marketing deals with a major carmaker with involvement of Del Nero last week. It is part of an ongoing senate investigation aimed at cleaning up corruption in Brazilian football.
Del Nero now faces allegations of breaches of FIFA’s ethical code. Any sanctions would be decided and imposed by FIFA’s adjudicatory chamber.
Earlier today police again swooped on the premises of the Bar au Lac hotel and arrested two more senior FIFA officials, CONMEBOL president Juan Angel Napout from Paraguay and CONCACAF’s interim president Alfredo Hawit from Honduras.
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