March 29 – Like Jeffrey Webb before him, Rafael Callejas, former President of Honduras, has changed his plea to guilty over widespread corruption charges in the ongoing scandal centred around football in the US and Americas.
Three months after originally pleading not guilty, Callejas, president of his country between 1990 and 1994, has now admitted charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering and wire fraud, telling a Brooklyn court on Monday he knew what he was did “was wrong”.
In a statement, the US Department of Justice said Callejas had negotiated and accepted bribes in exchange for exercising his influence as the president of the Honduran football federation to award contracts for media and marketing rights to World Cup qualifier matches.
Altogether Callejas faced eight charges including taking bribes from Media World in exchange for media and marketing rights for qualifier matches ahead of the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments. He will be sentenced in August and faces a possible long jail term.
Callejas was previously a member of FIFA’s television and marketing committee and told the judge he had accepted bribes and distributed some of the money to others.
As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit $650,000, $180,000 to be paid within one week and the balance due within 12 months, prosecutors said during the 25-minute hearing.
He is among 42 individuals and entities charged in the US probe covering more than $200 million in bribes and kickbacks over 24 years.
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