Zurich, Switzerland – FIFA has imposed life bans on two former Honduran officials, who also previously held Fifa positions, after they were found guilty racketeering and conspiracy charges by the United States Department of Justice earlier this year.
The adjudicatory chamber of Fifa's Independent Ethics Committee, chaired by Mr Hans‑Joachim Eckert, handed down the bans to Rafael Callejas and Alfredo Hawit Banegas on Monday.
Callejas is the former president of the Honduran FA (FENAFUTH) and a former member of the FIFA Marketing and TV Committee, while Banegas is the former general secretary and president of FENAFUTH, a former vice-president and acting president of CONCACAF and a former FIFA vice-president, for life from all football-related activities at both national and international level.
The investigations against Callejas and Hawit were opened on 4 December 2015 and conducted by Dr Cornel Borbély, the chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee.
On 28 March 2016, Callejas pleaded guilty to two counts charging him with racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. His guilty plea related to one scheme by means of which he asked for and received bribes from sports marketing companies in relation to the awarding of marketing rights for UNCAF region World Cup qualifiers.
Hawit pleaded guilty on 11 April 2016 to four counts charging him with racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct justice. His guilty plea relates to schemes by means of which he received bribes from sports marketing companies in exchange for the awarding of contracts for the media and marketing rights to CONCACAF tournaments and UNCAF region World Cup qualifiers.
As a consequence, both officials were banned for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at national and international level.