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Paraguay's Senate votes to repeal immunity of South American soccer confederation headquarters

Associated Press
Published | Updated

ASUNCION, Paraguay – Paraguay's Senate has voted to repeal a law giving immunity to the headquarters of South America's soccer confederation.

The Senate's unanimous decision Thursday sends the bill to President Horacio Cartes, who has said he supports it. The measure was approved last week by the House of Deputies.

The move comes amid a major bribery scandal and investigation into FIFA. One of 14 soccer officials indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice is Nicolas Leoz, a Paraguayan and former FIFA executive committee member. He's president of the confederation, known as CONMEBOL.

Leoz lobbied Paraguay's legislators in 1997 for the law making the headquarters exempt from legal intervention. The immunity includes protection from the kinds of raids that happened in May at FIFA and CONCACAF headquarters in Switzerland and Miami.