An Argentine sports marketing executive pleaded not guilty and posted a US$20 million bond on Friday after appearing in a US court to face charges in the FIFA corruption scandal that has rocked world soccer.
Alejandro Burzaco, 51, surrendered to Italian police in June before flying to New York to face US justice over allegations that he took part in a massive kickbacks scheme going back more than 20 years.
The dual Argentine-Italian citizen is the former general manager and chairman of Torneos y Competencias SA, an Argentine sports marketing company.
He is one of 14 FIFA officials and marketing executives accused of soliciting and receiving more than US$150 million in bribes and kickbacks in a case that has scandalized world soccer.
Burzaco pleaded not guilty to three charges of racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy and posted a US$20 million bond, underwritten by friends and family.
The defendant bowed his bead before Judge Vera Scanlon in a US federal court in Brooklyn, New York, dressed in a dark suit, crisp white shirt and pale blue tie.
Government prosecutors told Scanlon that Burzaco was not considered a flight risk given that he had handed himself in overseas.
Burzaco’s decision to surrender — after reportedly disappearing from the hotel where officials from soccer’s global governing body FIFA were arrested in May — has triggered speculation he might negotiate a deal with prosecutors. His lawyer made no comment after leaving court.
Burzaco is next due to appear before a US judge on Sept. 18.
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the indictments in May, throwing world soccer into turmoil and leading to a resignation announcement from FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Among conditions of Burzaco’s release are that he live in an FBI-approved residence within 80km of the court.
He must surrender his passports to the FBI, submit to electronic monitoring and restrict his movements to New York and Long Island.
Neither is he allowed to communicate with any of his co-defendants or any of the entities mentioned in the indictment, including FIFA.
US authorities accuse him of paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to win and retain the media rights contracts for soccer tournaments in Latin America.
Torneos y Competencias held the television rights for the Argentine league between 1992 and 2009.
In association with Aaron Davidson, president of Traffic Sports USA, who was also arrested in Zurich, and another company, Full Play, it also held the rights for the Copa America.
Burzaco was initially taken into custody near Italy’s border with Switzerland after turning up at a police station with two lawyers in June.
Burzaco was briefly detained in a cell and then reportedly placed under house arrest.
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