Ex-Argentine soccer official found dead amid FIFA corruption trial

Argentinian businessman Alejandro Burzaco testified during the FIFA corruption trial saying that he paid former ex-football official Jorge Delhon $500,000 for four years to secure the broadcasting rights. Photo by Andrew Gombert/EPA

Nov. 15 (UPI) — A former Argentinian soccer official committed suicide — the same day he was accused of taking bribes on the second day of a corruption trial in New York City.

Jorge Delhon was accused during testimony at trial Tuesday of accepting $500,000 a year from 2011 to 2014 to secure broadcasting rights to international soccer games.

Delhon was found dead on railroad tracks in Buenos Aires. Officials believe he was hit by a train.

The 52-year-old attorney worked for Football For All, an Argentine government program which held broadcasting rights for national soccer games.

Delhon’s name was cited this week during the FIFA trial in New York City centering on Jose Maria Marin, the former head of Brazil’s Football Confederation, Juan Ángel Napout, former Fifa vice-president and Manuel Braga, who led Peru’s soccer federation.

One of the key witnesses in the case, Argentine sports marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco, was the one to name Delhon.

Burzaco has already pleaded guilty to handing out millions of dollars in bribes.

A colleague of Delhon, Pablo Paladino, was also implicated, as was Julio Grondona, the long-time president of the Argentine Football Association.

The former officials have been accused of taking bribes in exchange for lucrative broadcasting and hosting rights for major soccer tournaments.

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