Third of Copa America Rights Costs Spent on Bribes - US Attorney General

The United States is scheduled to host a centennial edition of the Copa America in 2016, and it will be the first time this tournament is held in cities outside of South America, she noted.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — About a third part of the costs of the rights for the Copa America tournaments scheduled to be held in the United States in 2016 has been spent on bribes, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch stated during the press briefing on Wednesday.

“Our investigation revealed that what should have been an expression of international sportsmanship was used as vehicle in this broader scheme to line executives’ pockets with bribes totaling $110 million, nearly a third of the legitimate costs of the rights to the tournaments involved,” Lynch said.

Lynch spoke following the announcement by the US Justice Department earlier on Wednesday that high ranking FIFA officials had been arrested for corruption and charged for receiving over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks.

On Wednesday, several FIFA officials were arrested in Zurich, Switzerland. They will be extradited to the United States on federal corruption charges, including fraud, racketeering, money laundering, as well as engaging in shady marketing and broadcasting deals over the last 20 years.