Bolivia football chief arrested in corruption probe

The president of Bolivia’s Football Federation, Carlos Chavez, was arrested on Friday on charges of corruption in the management of finances, the Bolivian public prosecutors’ office has said.

Chavez is also the treasurer of the South American Football Confederation, Conmebol.

Bolivian police started investigating its football federation after a major corruption scandal broke out involving FIFA, the sport’s world governing body. The secretary general of the Bolivian federation, Alberto Lozada, has also been arrested on match-fixing charges, and over 20 Bolivian football executives have given evidence in court so far. 

FIFA is facing allegations of widespread corruption after Swiss police raided a hotel in Zurich - where FIFA is based - and arrested seven of its top executives last month.

The seven officials were held at the request of the US justice department, which has since charged 14 current and former FIFA officials and associates on charges of "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption.

The officials include two former Conmedol presidents, Eugenio Figueredo and Nicolas Leoz.

In May, Swiss prosecutors also opened separate criminal proceedings "against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering" in connection with the upcoming 2018 and 2022 World Cups, due to be held in Russia and Qatar respectively.