By Mark Baber
March 2 – Former Guatemalan Football Federation president and member of FIFA’s Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility Brayan Jimenez was extradited on a commercial flight from La Aurora airport to the US on Tuesday to face charges of corruption, money laundering, fraud and embezzlement.
Jimenez went on the run on December 3 but was arrested in a high class suburb of Guatemala in January, somewhat the worse for wear and having changed his appearance, such that before and after photos of him went viral on social media.
Since his arrest he was held in the Mariscal Zavala jail, a modified military barracks for high-profile detainees and he decided not to appeal his extradition.
Jimenez has received no sympathy or support from Adela de Torrebiarte, Regularization Committee Chair of the National Football Federation (Fedefut) who said that his capture was a ” good message for all, especially for sports leaders to do their job well.”
Torrebiarte praised “the good work of the National Civil Police (PNC) and the Public Ministry (MP), because we must meet the demands of other countries, which in this case is the United States.”
Jimenez has been accused of taking bribes of over $200,000 connected to the rights to broadcast World Cup 2014 and 2018 matches and, according to Torrebiarte, has left the Federation in a mess with a large deficit, administrative disorder and more than 110 people on the payroll.
It remains to be seen if Jimenez has the personal financial resources to afford the legal representation and high level of bond which may allow him to be released on bail in the US.
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