FIFA Bans Officials For Life For Taking Bribes

World football governing body FIFA have banned three soccer officials from Guam, Nicaragua and Venezuela for life, after they pleaded guilty to accepting bribes.

The three former football officials includes Richard Lai, the former Guam Football Association president and a former member of the FIFA audit and compliance committee; Julio Rocha, the former Nicaraguan Football Association president and a former FIFA development officer; and Rafael Esquivel, former Venezuelan Football Association president.

Lai pleaded guilty to taking one million dollars from officials looking to buy influence, with powerful International Olympic Committee member Ahmad Al-Sabah of Kuwait implicated.

“His guilty plea related, amongst others, to schemes in which he received bribes in exchange for his support in relation to the FIFA presidential elections and to gain control and influence within the AFC [Asian Football Confederation] and FIFA,” the soccer body said Tuesday in a statement.

Rocha and Esquivel pleaded guilty to taking bribes in exchange for the awarding of media and marketing rights of matches including World Cup qualifiers and regional tournaments such as the Copa America.

FIFA said its ethics judges imposed appropriate fines in relation to the amounts of the bribes that they have admitted having taken.