Chile football chief served subpoena, takes unexpected medical leave

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile police served national Football Association (ANFP) president Sergio Jadue a subpoena on Friday as part of what the ANFP said was an investigation into how it allocates salaries, just a day after Jadue announced he would take a 30-day leave for medical reasons.

Chile football chief served subpoena, takes unexpected medical leave

(Reuters)





The investigation of Jadue and other ANFP directors is the latest blow to South American Football Confederation CONMEBOL, which has been the focus of several strands of the broad probe into corruption at soccer's world governing body FIFA.

Chile's investigative police force (PDI) served subpoenas to four directors of the ANFP, "notifying them to go to the district attorney's office as part of a reserved investigation," said PDI director Hector Espinosa. The PDI declined to give further details about the investigation.

The ANFP released a statement Friday afternoon saying the "members of the PDI came to our offices to serve the corporation's president and some of its board members subpoenas as part of a routine investigation into the allocation of salaries that the President's board unanimously approved for them."

Jadue, a CONMEBOL vice-president, did not attend Thursday’s World Cup qualifier between Chile and Colombia in Santiago, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Regarding Jadue's medical leave, the ANFP said late on Thursday that its "board received this Thursday a medical licence from (its) president Sergio Jadue, who requested a statutory authorisation of 30 days to be absent from his corporative activities."

Jadue denied reports suggesting he might resign from the ANFP.

His Colombian counterpart, Luis Bedoya, resigned unexpectedly from his post this week, citing personal reasons.

CONMEBOL is reeling from the FIFA corruption scandal in which several of its leading directors were indicted in May in a probe led by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation into allegations of bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud involving more than $150 million.

A majority of the 14 FIFA officials and sports marketing executives indicted were from South America.

U.S. Department of Justice allegations included one that three Argentines conspired to win and keep hold of lucrative media rights contracts from regional soccer federations through the payment of up to $110 million in bribes.

Jadue has denied any involvement in the scandal.

Chile staged this year’s Copa America, the world’s oldest continuing international football tournament, and won it for the first time. The team’s coach Jorge Sampaoli told reporters on Thursday he had no knowledge of Jadue’s situation.





(Reporting by Felipe Iturrieta; Additional reporting by Anthony Esposito; Writing by Rex Gowar and Anthony Esposito,; Editing by Ed Osmond and Bill Rigby)


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