August 6 – Former Bolivian football boss Carlos Chavez, one of those caught up in the FifaGate scandal, has died in hospital in Brazil according to local reports.
Chavez, who was also treasurer at CONMEBOL, was diagnosed with cancer in November last year and since January had been receiving specialist treatment in Brazil after being granted permission to temporarily leave prison.
He had been jailed in 2015 at Bolivia’s notorious Palmasola Prison in the eastern city of Santa Cruz on charges he diverted funds from a charity match among other corruption charges. Later that same year he was listed by US prosecutors as being among 16 newly-indicted suspects in the FifaGate probe, accused of accepting a $7.5 million bribe.
Bolivian officials said Chavez and other Bolivian FA officials were being investigated for various crimes, including abusing their office, laundering illicit profits, misuse of influence and criminal organisation.
His brother Mario, appearing before the media in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, said Chavez’ death was “a consequence of the injustice that was committed (…) as soon as he was imprisoned in 2015.”
“They wanted to get him out of football and after a year and a half of being detained he contracted cancer.”
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