By Michael Pavitt |
Former Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) President Jose Maria Marin has been banned for life, FIFA announced.
The 86-year-old Marin was sentenced to four years in prison in August, following his conviction on corruption charges in December 2017.
He was also ordered to pay a $1.2 million fine and forfeit $3.3 million by the Brooklyn Federal Court.
Marin had been found guilty of six counts of racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.
Prosecutors had initially sought a 10-year prison sentence.
Marin had pleaded not guilty in 2015 and was then released to house arrest before he was put on trial.
The Brazilian was the first official implicated in the United States Department of Justice investigation into widespread corruption at FIFA to be sentenced.
He has now been banned for football for life by the FIFA Ethics Committee, as well as being fined $1 million.
The official was found guilty of bribery in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
“The investigation into Mr Marin related to various bribery schemes, in particular during the 2012-2015 period, in relation to his role in awarding contracts to companies for the media and marketing rights to CONMEBOL, Concacaf and CBF competitions,” a FIFA statement read.
“In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Marin had breached art. 27 (Bribery) of the FIFA Code of Ethics and, as a result, banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level.
“In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 1 million has been imposed on Mr Marin.”
The ban has come into force today, FIFA stated, after Marin was notified.
Marin was one of the seven high-ranking FIFA officials arrested in dramatic dawn raids on the Baur Au Lac Hotel in Zurich in May 2015.
The Brazilian had stood trial in New York City alongside former FIFA vice-president Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay and Peruvian Manuel Burga.
Napout, the former head of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), was jailed for nine years for his role in the widespread corruption scandal.
The Paraguayan was found guilty on charges of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, while Marin was convicted of six counts of racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.
Burga, the former Peruvian Football Federation President, was acquitted of all charges at the same trial.
Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.