5 days ago
Argentine Father-Son Duo Admits FIFA Bribery, Agrees to Pay $50 Million
Hugo Jinkis and his son Mariano admitted helping pay bribes in international football.
They said the bribes were used to obtain valuable broadcasting and marketing contracts.
Prosecutors said football officials accepted more than $150 million in illegal payments.
The case is connected to the large FIFA corruption scandal revealed in 2015.
Instead of going through a criminal trial, the pair reached an agreement with United States prosecutors.
They must forfeit more than $50 million.
If they stay out of criminal trouble, the charges can be dismissed by September 2027.
This agreement also helps them avoid a possible prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Hugo and Mariano Jinkis admitted paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to football officials.
The payments allegedly secured lucrative broadcast and marketing rights for the executives.
The pair agreed to forfeit more than $50 million under a settlement.
A deferred prosecution agreement allows them to avoid a formal criminal trial.
Charges may be dismissed by September 2027 if they maintain clean criminal records.
- Who
- Argentine sports marketing executives Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis, along with football officials and prosecutors.
- What
- The father and son admitted involvement in paying commercial bribes and agreed to forfeit more than $50 million.
- Where
- The admissions were made in a Brooklyn federal court in New York.
- When
- The alleged corruption occurred before and during the 2015 FIFA scandal; charges may be dismissed by September 2027.
- Why
- The bribes were allegedly paid to secure exclusive broadcast and marketing rights and exclude competitors.
Key facts
- Defendants
- Hugo Jinkis, 81, and Mariano Jinkis, 51
- Settlement
- The pair will forfeit more than $50 million
- Agreement
- A deferred prosecution agreement with United States federal prosecutors
- Potential dismissal
- Wire fraud conspiracy charges may be dismissed by September 2027
- Potential prison term avoided
- A maximum sentence of 20 years
- Alleged illegal payments
- Football officials allegedly solicited and accepted more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks
- Scandal date
- The FIFA corruption crackdown became public on May 27, 2015
Quotes
Joseph Sepp Blatter
Former FIFA president
“I know many people hold me ultimately responsible for the actions and reputation of the global football community, whether it’s the decision for the hosting of a World Cup or a corruption scandal.”
theprint.in
“The next few months will not be easy for FIFA. I’m sure more bad news may follow. But it is necessary to begin to restore trust in our organisation.”
theprint.in
US federal prosecutors
Prosecutors involved in the Brooklyn federal case
“The defendants and their co-conspirators corrupted the enterprise by engaging in various criminal activities, including fraud, bribery and money laundering.”
theprint.in
Sources
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