La Paz: State prosecutors raided the headquarters of the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) in the provincial city of Cochabamba after it failed to cooperate fully with an investigation into corruption, the prosecutors’ office said on Thursday.
Police arrested the head of the FBF, Carlos Chavez, on July 17 on graft charges linked to an alleged scam involving a charity fund set up for the family of a fan who died at an international match.
Bolivian prosecutors allege the fan’s family never received any money from the fund.
“On various occasions we have sought information from the FBF and in reply we have received incomplete answers, simple photocopies. The attitude of the FBF bosses has been one of not taking this seriously,” said Bolivia’s top prosecutor Ramiro Guerrero.
Chavez is being held in Bolivia’s notoriously violent Palmasola jail, which Pope Francis visited in July, pending his trial.
He is one of five senior officials from the Bolivian football federation under investigation for corruption.
Chavez is also the treasurer of the South American Football Confederation, Conmebol.
In a separate investigation, two former Conmebol presidents are among 14 people facing US criminal charges relating to more than $150 million (Dh551 million) in alleged bribes and kickbacks dating back to the 1990s.
