Authorized. The coordinator of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime, Jorge Chávez Cotrina, gave details of the investigation into the FPF chief.
In December last year, prosecutors launched a preliminary investigation into the president of the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF). Augustine Lozanoand other members of its board on alleged crimes of organized crime, extortion and coercion.
The head of the governing body of Peruvian football has since faced this process after Óscar Romero Aquino, president of the Professional Football Sports Federation (ADFP), lodged a complaint.
The document was issued December 15 by the Third Corporate Supraprovincial Provincial Prosecutor’s Office and had the support and review of the National Superior Prosecutor’s Office, which coordinates specialized prosecutors against organized crime. The resolution, based on the Code of Criminal Procedure approved by Legislative Decree No. 957 for the investigation, prosecution and punishment of members of a criminal organization associated with it or acting on its behalf, came amid the television rights dispute between the FPF and a group of clubs.
The resolution provided by the prosecutor also discloses the names of the 10 members of the FPF board investigated together with Lozano Saavedra: Raúl Bao García, Víctor Bellido Aedo, Luis Duarte Plata, Juan Dupuy García, José Isla Montaño, Gisela Mandriotti Nightingale, Sabrina Martin Zamalloa, Genaro Miñán Armanza, Osias Ramírez Gamarra and Arturo Rios Ibáñez.
On the test bench
But what sanction or punishment can Lozano expect? In the midst of the dispute over the TV rights with the clubs and the postponed matches of the 6th Premier League, the coordinator of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime provided details of the situation of the manager of the San Luis estate.
The Attorney General Jorge Chavez Cotrina, mentioned that Lozano and members of the FPF are under investigation for three crimes they are accused of. This process has recently started. “The members of the FPF are being investigated for extortion, coercion and fraud in the administration of legal entities. These investigations started in December last year and if they are found guilty, obviously the sentence will be more than 20 years in prison,” Cotrina said on Radio Ovación, after clarifying the reasons why he can give details of the case.
“Firstly, due to security measures, the provincial prosecutors and provincial assistants are not authorized to give interviews, but as the coordinator, I could give you some peripheral information on the case, bearing in mind that the details are confidential to the relevant area,” he began. Said Chávez Cotrina on Radio Ovación.
And he added: “The public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation within the limits of its powers and has therefore requested documents for the implementation of the relevant expert opinion and the conduct of the FPF in 2018, 2019 and 2020.”
When asked if the organized crime prosecutor had already visited La Videna, Chávez Cotrina commented that “no organized crime prosecutor has come to La Videna yet, but it could be for other cases. Recall that Lozano has several investigations in different prosecutor’s offices. We are in the documentary filmmaking phase.”
Finally, when asked if there might be an obstacle for the President of the FPF to leave, Chávez commented that “it will depend on the prosecutor in the case, he will decide if it is necessary at the given time. In addition, there are several folders that will accumulate from organized crime.
Did you know…
One more. In early February this year, prosecutors launched investigations into FPF president Agustín Lozano for membership of an alleged criminal organization. According to investigations by the public prosecutor Losano would have approved illegally paying clubs such as Carlos Stein, Llacuabamba, Grau and others.