Osiris Guzman has proclaimed his innocence of charges of corruption while serving as president of the Dominican Football Federation. Guzman has said he will appeal FIFA’s decision.
On 12 October 2018, the adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has banned Osiris Guzmán, president of the Dominican Republic Football Association (Fedofutbol), for ten years from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level. He was also fined US$151,000 for violating articles 27 (bribery), 20 (accepting gifts), and 19 (conflicts of interest) of the Ethics Code of the FIFA. Guzmán had presided the Fedofutbol for more than 20 years, until the recent rulings by the FIFA put a stop to his administration.
Moreso, a report in Diario Libre says that the name of Felix Ledesma, who is director of the Dominican Football League, appears 11 times in the report in which FIFA details the irregularities committed by Osiris Guzman in the five years of audited finances. Ledesma was hand-picked by Guzman to head the Fedofutbol for the next four years, after FIFA ordered he step aside.
Unfortunately, Ledesma, at the head of the Dominican Football League did not register the Dominican clubs for the Caribbean Cup, despite receiving a three months extension. This means the local winning clubs, Cibao FC and Atletico SFM will not be able to participate in the regional tournament. As the rules go, the Dominican Football League is owned by Fedofutbol.
But with the takeover of the FIFA, Diario Libre reports that a new board of directors could be put into place by July 2019 to organize new elections.
Sports writer Hugo Lopez Morrobel asks in his column in El Dia on 21 November: “And will there not be other federations permeated by bad management?” He observes the FIFA had to come here to unravel the corruption at the local football federation, despite the case having been put in the hands of the local government corruption office (PEPCA) since March 2016.
Read more:
Diario Libre
FIFA
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
Facebook
22 November 2018
