CONCACAF President Alfredo Hawit Arrested
Two FIFA officials were arrested in Zurich today [Dec 3], including acting CONCACAF President Alfredo Hawit, with both being held in custody pending extradition.
CONCACAF — the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football — is the governing body of football for the Caribbean and Central American region, covering a number of nations and islands including Bermuda.
The BBC reports that the arrests included both Hawit and Conmebol president Juan Angel Napou, who were “taken from the Baur au Lac hotel, Zurich, where several Fifa officials were also arrested in May.”
An official statement from Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice [FOJ] said, “The two FIFA officials were arrested by the Zurich cantonal police today in Zurich. The detention orders issued by the FOJ are based on arrest requests submitted by the United States Department of Justice on 29 November 2015.
“In the light of further investigations conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, these individuals are now also suspected of having received bribes.
“The high-ranking FIFA officials are alleged to have taken the money in return for selling marketing rights in connection with football tournaments in Latin America, as well as World Cup qualifying matches.
“According to the arrest requests, some of the offences were agreed and prepared in the USA. Payments were also processed via US banks.
In a subsequent statement, the FOJ added, “The two FIFA officials arrested in Zurich on the instructions of the Federal Office of Justice FOJ were today also given hearings by the Zurich cantonal police on the US arrest requests. They are opposing their extradition to the USA.
“The following individuals are currently in custody pending extradition: Alfredo Hawit, president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football [CONCACAF] and vice-president of FIFA, Honduran citizen and Juan Angel Napout, president of the South American Football Confederation [CONMEBOL] and FIFA official, Paraguayan citizen.”
“The FOJ will now ask the USA to submit formal extradition requests within the 40-day deadline laid down in the bilateral extradition treaty. Extradition proceedings will be resumed as soon as these requests have been received.”
In a statement today following the arrests,, CONCACAF said they were “made aware of the arrest of several international football officials that took place this morning in Zurich and that included the confederation’s acting and statutorily appointed President, Mr. Alfredo Hawit.
“CONCACAF continues to cooperate with all government authorities in their investigations to the fullest extent.
“CONCACAF remains committed to implementing fully the Reform Framework that it announced in July of this year. The majority of these reforms have already been implemented in CONCACAF’s administrative and compliance structures.
“Today’s developments only strengthen the Confederation’s resolve in continuing to enact significant structural and governance changes to the organization, including substantial amendments to its statutes and fundamentally changing how it conducts business.
“At present, CONCACAF is not in a position to comment further on the specific allegations, which are the subject of the indictments.”
