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FIFA SCANDAL

CORRUPTION

Fifa bans Nepal’s football president over bribery

Fifa on Monday banned Nepal's football chief for 10 years and the president of the Laos federation for two years for bribery.

Fifa bans Nepal's football president over bribery
Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

The decade-long sanction against Ganesh Thapa, president of the All-Nepal Football Association, was a new blow to the country's football image after several national players were accused of match-fixing.
   
Thapa stood down as a football chief one year ago amid an investigation into accusations that he embezzled millions of dollars during his 19-year tenure.
   
Thapa “committed various acts of misconduct over several years, including the solicitation and acceptance of cash payments from another football official, for both personal and family gain,” said a Fifa statement without giving details.
   
Fifa's ethics committee said Thapa had specifically been bribed over elections for the Fifa executive committee in 2009 and 2011.
   
Thapa, who denies the allegations, said in a statement he was “disappointed” by the decision and would “follow the necessary steps… to establish my innocence”.
   
On top of the ban, he was fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($19,850) by the ethics committee's adjudicatory chamber.
   
Nepal's national team captain, Sagar Thapa, and four other players have been charged with treason over alleged match-fixing in World Cup qualifiers.

Prosecutors have sought life jail terms for the five who have denied the charges.
   
Laos Football Federation president Viphet Sihachakr was banned for two years after he “solicited and accepted a payment from another football official” around 2011 elections for the Fifa executive.
   
Sihachakr was fined 40,000 Swiss francs ($39,700).

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CORRUPTION

Barçagate: Police raid FC Barcelona offices and arrest former president

Police raided the offices of FC Barcelona on Monday, carrying out several arrests just six days ahead of the club's presidential elections, a Catalan regional police spokesman told AFP.

Barçagate: Police raid FC Barcelona offices and arrest former president
Barcelona's former president Josep Maria Bartomeu is among the arrested. Photo: Josep Lago/AFP

Spain's Cadena Ser radio said one of those arrested was former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned in October, along with CEO Oscar Grau and the club's head of legal services.

But the police refused to confirm names, saying only “arrests are taking place” and adding that the operation was being run by officers from the financial crimes unit.

“We are in the process of carrying out an operation right now with agents of the financial crimes unit,” the police spokesman told AFP.

According to reports in the Spanish media, the operation is linked to last year's investigation into the 'BarçaGate' scandal, which saw the club deny hiring a company to criticise current and former players on social media to improve the image of the then-president Bartomeu.

Cadena Ser said Barca paid €1 million in six separate invoices to the company I3 Ventures, with whom the club have since cut ties.

Bartomeu resigned in October, after mounting pressure following months of controversy and a dramatic decline in performances on the pitch.

His successor is due to be elected on Sunday, when club members will choose between the final three candidates, Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Victor Font.

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