ASUNCION: The South American football confederation CONMEBOL has asked a US Federal Court judge to halt a lawsuit accusing the organisation of participating in a bribery scheme alongside a number of 21st Century Fox units.

Earlier this month the US Department of Justice requested to intervene in the lawsuit – which was brought by pan-American pay-television broadcaster GolTV and has focused on the award of exclusive rights to football matches – because it is currently pursuing a criminal case based on the same facts.

In the suit, GolTV and its partner agency, Global Sports, claimed they were the victim of one of the bribery schemes outlined in the second indictment in the $200m FIFAGate bribery scandal.

The indictment claimed that CONMEBOL executives had solicited bribes in exchange for supporting the sale to the T&T Sports Marketing company of rights for pan-regional club competitions including the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.

CONMEBOL has requested that discovery be halted while the Department of Justice has paused the progression of the case in US court.

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