FIFA issued a statement yesterday denying the secretary general Jerome Valcke or any of its senior management made a $10 million payment that is central to the bribery investigation of the world soccer's governing body. "The payments totalling $10 million were authorised by the then chairman of the Finance Committee and executed in accordance with the Organisation Regulations of FIFA," FIFA said in the statement. "Neither the Secretary General Jerome Valcke nor any other member of FIFA's senior management were involved in the initiation, approval and implementation of the above project." Meanwhile, the former head of the Brazilian Football federation, Ricardo Teixeira, is facing charges of money laundering and tax evasion, a police source said, as an international bribery scandal put the spotlight on Brazil's national sport. Teixeira's successor as president of the CBF federation, Jose Maria Marin, was arrested on Wednesday by Swiss police along with six other executives of FIFA on indictments for corruption brought by U.S. authorities. The Federal Police source said an investigation into Teixeira's bank accounts carried out earlier this year found that he had laundered money and violated currency regulations. Teixeira is the former son-in-law of long-time FIFA boss Joao Havelange.
