Ex-CBF President Ricardo Teixeira Indicted for Financial Crimes

06/02/2015 - 08h55

The Federal Police has indicted the ex-president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ricardo Teixeira, on suspicion of financial crimes during his command of the institution.

The police's report, which was completed in January, concerns irregular transactions in Teixeira's name identified by the Financial Activities Control (Coaf), an institution linked to the Ministry of Finance.

According to the magazine "Época", Teixeira moved up to US$ 147 million between 2009 and 2012. Coaf then passed this information to the police, claims the article.

The police then gathered evidence to indict Teixeira for various crimes such as tax evasion, money laundering, falsification of public documents and criminal misrepresentation.

Teixeira was not among the nine FIFA bosses and former executives arrested last week as part of an investigation by the American Department of Justice, but he does appear in the case as a "co-conspirator", involved in bribery and money laundering.

According to the FBI, Teixeira shared bribes linked to the television rights of the Copa do Brasil with his successor José Maria Marin (2012-2015) and current CBF president Marco Polo Del Nero. The tournament has been running since 1989 and it brings together all of Brazil's main clubs.

In 2012, Teixeira resigned as CBF president and from FIFA's executive committee amid accusations he had received money for matches involving the Brazilian national side and from a FIFA marketing contract.

At the end of last year, already concerned about potential investigation in the United States, Teixeira put his 600m2 mansion in Miami up for sale. He had bought the property two years previously for US$22 million.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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