FIFA bans 2 South American officials for life due to bribery

Luis Bedoya was one of the two officials to receive life bans. (Fernando Vergara/AP)

ZURICH — FIFA ethics judges have imposed life bans on two South American football officials who have pleaded guilty in the United States to corruption charges.

The FIFA ethics committee judging chamber says it found Luis Bedoya, a former FIFA executive committee member from Colombia, and Sergio Jadue of Chile guilty of wrongdoing including bribery and conflicts of interest.

Bedoya and Jadue were national soccer federation presidents when they waived indictment last November on charges of racketeering and wire fraud conspiracies.

They took million-dollar bribes linked to marketing rights for the Copa America and Copa Libertadores tournaments.

FIFA’s ethics committee says the case "related to two schemes by means of which they asked for and received bribes from sports marketing companies."

Bedoya and Jadue await sentence from a federal court in Brooklyn.

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