A Florida-based unit of Spanish media company Imagina Media Audiovisual SL "pleaded guilty to criminal charges for paying bribes" to Caribbean football officials, agreeing to pay more than $24M in penalties and implement enhanced compliance controls, according to Samuel Rubenfeld of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Senior execs of Imagina US LLC paid more than $6.5M in bribes to high-ranking Caribbean football officials and four Central American football federation execs to secure media and marketing rights to World Cup qualifier matches. The execs "used false invoices and contracts to disguise the payments," prosecutors said, often transmitting the bribes through bank accounts held by intermediaries in other countries. Imagina Media "entered into a non-prosecution agreement," while the Florida-based subsidiary pleaded guilty to a two-count criminal information document (WSJ, 7/10). SOCCEREX reported a N.Y. judge ordered Imagina US to pay a fine of $12.9M, plus damages of about $6.7M, which will go to various CONCACAF member associations in Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador and the Caribbean Football Union. The company was also told to forfeit around $5.3M in criminal proceeds (SOCCEREX, 7/11).
