June 2 – One of Brazilian football legend Pele’s seven children has been sentenced to 33 years in prison for laundering money for drug traffickers. Edson Cholbi Nascimento, known as Edinho, denies the charges, which date from 2005, and will reportedly be allowed to remain free pending appeal.
Edinho, Pele’s third son from his first marriage and currently a goalkeeping coach, had a relatively low-key career in the 1990s playing for Santos, the same club where his father – who won three World Cups – shot to fame and where he remained for his entire professional career.
Four other people have also been convicted for money laundering and the case has hit the headlines in Brazil at a highly inopportune time for Pele, very much the public face of the forthcoming World Cup in his homeland.
Last month Pele denounced organisers for the spate of delays and bad planning. “There has been significant time to get the stadiums finished. The situation is unacceptable – it is a disgrace,” he said.
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