The president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, asked the Paraguayan Public Ministry to speed up the investigation into alleged money laundering of around US$6 million (R$30.7 million at current exchange rates) that he presented in 2017 and which would be related to a previous administration of the entity.
“We ask the Public Ministry to carry out public criminal action in pursuit of the application of criminal law”, stated Conmebol on its official website.
“The first criminal complaint was presented in 2017 and, in this context, elements emerged about operations carried out by (former president of the confederation) Nicolás Leoz in relation to funds belonging to South American football”, specified the entity, after a visit by Domínguez to the attorney general of Paraguay, Emiliano Rolón.
Statement: The President of CONMEBOL brings to the Prosecutor’s Office his support for the fight against money laundering. ⬇
— CONMEBOL.com (@CONMEBOL) May 16, 2024
Leoz, who passed away in 2019, was president of Conmebol from 1986 to 2013.
Domínguez said he took his support to the fight against money laundering to the Public Ministry and ratified the entity’s commitment to combating corruption.
Conmebol recovered more than US$150 million (R$769 million) diverted in acts of corruption committed by former directors, which were discovered after the scandal known as ‘FIFAgate’ in 2015, according to data from the confederation itself.
The recovered money is being used to build a community center near its headquarters, in the city of Luque, neighboring Asunción.
The site aims to develop children and adolescents from vulnerable sectors in sports. “The idea is to expand the initiative regionally” in each of the ten associated countries, according to the president of Conmebol.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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