By Robbie Blakeley, Contributing Sports Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Ricardo Teixeira, head of the CBF (Brazilian Football Federation), faces a police investigation on suspicion of illegally transferring funds into Brazil and money laundering. The accusations were made by BBC Panorama alleging Teixeira accepted bribes from the now defunct International Sports and Leisure (ISL), between 1989 and 1999. ISL went bankrupt in 2001.
Teixeira, who has been at the helm of the CBF for over two decades and is presently heading Brazil’s 2014 World Cup Organizing Committee, maintains his innocence in the matter.
The federal prosecutor’s office said: “Federal prosecutor Marcelo Freire asked the head office of the Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro to open a police investigation of the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation for the crimes of illegal transfer of money to Brazil and money laundering.”
“The investigation will open this week. It will be conducted by the anti-financial crimes bureau,” a police spokeswoman said.
The news brings fresh problems for the 64-year-old, who earlier this year was embroiled in the 2018 World Cup Bid scandal, although he was later cleared of all charges.
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