FIFA issues life bans to disgraced duo Hawit and Callejas

FIFA has imposed a lifetime ban from all football-related activities on former vice-president Alfredo Hawit and ex-Honduran Football Association president Rafael Callejas.

In April, Hawitt – who is also a former president of CONCACAF – pleaded guilty to four counts of racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Callejas, who led the Honduras’ football association from 2002 to 2015, entered a guilty plea to charges of racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy in a New York court in March.

Following its own investigation into the allegedly illegal payments he received from sports marketing companies, FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has deemed that both men breached a number of the organisation’s rules, including those relating to bribery and corruption.

A Committee statement released on Monday read: “The adjudicatory chamber found Mr Callejas and Mr Hawit guilty of having violated art. 13 (General rules of conduct), 15 (Loyalty), 18 (Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting), 19 (Conflicts of interest) and 21 (Bribery and corruption) of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE). 

“As a consequence, both officials are banned for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at national and international level.”