Cayman Islands football official pleads guilty to money laundering
Key Points(5)
- Former Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) general secretary, Costas Takkas, pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering conspiracy in a New York federal court on Wednesday.
- The 60-year-old Takkas is a former attaché of former CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb.
- He faced charges relating to the transmission of millions of dollars in bribes paid during the official’s tenure in office.
- According to documents presented in court, Webb received a $US3m bribe to guarantee media and marketing rights for the home World Cup qualifiers of Caribbean teams during the 2018 and 2022 campaigns.
- One of the marketing companies involved in the deal, Traffic USA, conspired with Takkas to secretly funnel half of Webb’s $3 million bribe through front companies and accounts which he controlled.
Former Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) general secretary, Costas Takkas, pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering conspiracy in a New York federal court on Wednesday.
The 60-year-old Takkas is a former attaché of former CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. He faced charges relating to the transmission of millions of dollars in bribes paid during the official’s tenure in office.
According to documents presented in court, Webb received a $US3m bribe to guarantee media and marketing rights for the home World Cup qualifiers of Caribbean teams during the 2018 and 2022 campaigns. One of the marketing companies involved in the deal, Traffic USA, conspired with Takkas to secretly funnel half of Webb’s $3 million bribe through front companies and accounts which he controlled. The other, Media World, paid approximately $500,000 of its $1.5 million bribe through a sham transaction involving a false invoice, to accounts controlled by Takkas.
Webb, who is currently under arrest at his home in Georgia, pled guilty to similar charges last year and will face sentencing later this year.
Takkas was, along with Webb, one of 14 officials arrested in Zurich two years ago. He faces a maximum of up to 20 years in prison.
http://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/sports/webb-sentencing-hearing-delayed/
