By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – The man in charge of organising the 2014 World Cup is to be investigated this week on suspicion of illegal transfer of funds into the country and money laundering, it was reported today.
Ricardo Teixeira, head of Brazilian football, could be called in for questioning by the prosecutor’s office following persistent accusations of corruption.
“Federal prosecutor Marcelo Freire asked head office of the Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro to open a police investigation of the president of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) for the crimes of illegal transfer of money to Brazil and money laundering,” said a statement from the prosecutors office.
Last week, Teixeira was released from hospital following two days of observation after complaining of abdominal pain.
His condition did not require surgery but there was considerable speculation over whether the illness was in part caused by stress following constant rumours over his suitability to run the World Cup organising committee.
Teixeira is one of the most powerful men in Brazilian football and has been head of the CBF since 1989.
He has been repeatedly attacked by domestic media over alleged irregularities during his time in office but has never been convicted of any wrongdoing.
Teixeira, who has had a long-running feud with Pelé, the country’s greatest footballing icon, is under suspicion of allegedly taking kickbacks from FIFA’s former marketing partner ISL in the 1990s.
Last year, just before the vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the BBC accused him of being one of three high-profile FIFA executive committee members involved in corruption.
FIFA dismissed the allegations but in May, he was accused of unethical conduct by former English Football Association chairman Lord Triesman over the bidding process.
And two months ago, during the 2014 preliminary draw in Rio de Janeiro, Teixeira clashed with English reporters, calling them “corrupt” after being asked to comment on allegations that he was the one who had to answer claims of corruption.
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