Entérate. Así se dio el seguimiento a los sobornos de la FIFA

Day 2 in FIFA case: Alejandro Burzaco of Torneos y Competencias is called as witness for prosecution

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

This is according to the testimony of Alejandro Burzaco, the former CEO of Torneos y Competencias, an Argentine sports marketing and production firm.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Burzaco is an early "star" witness for US in its soccer corruption case. He was CEO of Torneos from 2006 to 2015 and pleaded guilty in late 2016 to conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering, and racketeering

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

BIG FIFA NEWS from trial today: Alejandro Burzaco said Fox Sports, Televisa, Media Pro, TV Globo, Full Play, and Traffic all paid bribes for soccer rights.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Burzaco, a witness for the US gov't, said his company had partnerships with all those companies and he is personally aware of their bribery. Added that Grupo Clarin of Argentina did not pay brbes.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Witness is Alejandro Burzaco, former CEO of Torneos y Competencias, who was indicted in May 2017 by the DoJ and pleaded guilty in late 2015 (correct earlier tweet saying late 2016 guilty plea)

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

TV Globo is owned by O Globo, Brazil's largest media company. Televisa is a huge Mexican media conglomerate. Fox Sports is Rupert Murdoch's sports broadcaster. These are heavyweight companies being accused of a serious crime in Brooklyn today.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Bribes were paid to Julio Grondona, Nicolas Leoz, Romer Ozuna, Eduardo DeLuca, and Eugenio Figueredo as "a special bribe for extensions" of contracts for Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana soccer tournaments

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

2) Grondona controlled all bribes paid by T&T for Libertadores and Sundamericana tournaments. He decided who got how much and sometimes modified them according to his tastes or kept some for himself.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

In 2006, Grondona received US $600K a year, but that later increased to $1 million, and then $1.2 million in 2012. DeLuca and Figueredo also received $600K in 2006, while Leoz got $1 million.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

3) Grondona took his bribe payments largely in cash. T&T would wire the money to a currency exchange house, which provided the cash, always in dollars. The cash was then either hand delivered to Grondona or delivered to Alhec Tour, his "financial house of choice" per Burzaco.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Burzaco said he bribed Grondona from 2005 until his death in July 2014. Grondona would "authorize and allocate the bribes" according to Burzaco's testimony today in Brooklyn.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Another detail on Fox from testimony in FIFA trial today: T&T, which was 75% owned by Fox Sports, paid bribes for Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana rights for years. Burzaco was CEO of T&T, but kept "Fox Panamerican Sports and in particular Fox Sports informed" of bribes

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Fox issue discussed in court today springs from two contracts signed in March 2008, extending T&T's rights to Libertadores and Sudamericana tournaments from 2014 to 2022.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Fox Sports bought a 50% share in T&T that was later increased to 75%. Fox was, in other words, by far the majority shareholder in a company whose former CEO is now saying routinely and systematically paid bribes for soccer broadcast rights.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

According to Burzaco, Fox profited from deal because it allowed it to broadcast those tournaments throughout Latin America and US, and gave it content to help launch several other sports channels in the region

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

According to Burzaco, Teixeira received bribes from T&T for Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana as well. As of 2006, he received $600,000 US each year.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

T&T sports had been paying Ricardo Teixeira US $600K a year as part of the deal, but after his resignation, it was decided that the bribes would go to Marin and Del Nero, who would split them.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Burzaco dijo que él mantuvo a Fox Sports informado sobre los sobornos que pagó y además un ejecutivo de Fox Pan American Sports firmó un contrato falso cubriendo el pagó de $3,7 millones de sobornos a oficiales de CONMEBOL, incluyendo Grondona, Leoz, y Teixeira

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

Burzaco dice que pagó U$ 4 millones en sobornos a Jorge Delhon y Pablo Paladino de Futbol Para Todos entre 2011 y 2014.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

BOMBSHELL: In early 2011 Julio Grondona took a $1 million payment owed to Ricardo Teixeira because "Grondona voted for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup," according to Alejandro Burzaco.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

The $1 million was a bribe owed to Teixeira upon signing of a new deal granting Full Play rights to the Copa America. But Grondona took Teixeira's payment because, he told Burzaco, he was owed the money for Teixeira in exchange for his crooked vote for Qatar.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017

In a busy news day in the FIFA trial, this seems like the biggest: Julio Grondona took at least $1 million in exchange for his vote for Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup.

— Ken Bensinger (@kenbensinger) 14 de noviembre de 2017