NEW YORK: Jose Hawilla, the millionaire business long known to be close to ex-Brazil football supremo Ricardo Teixeira, has laid bare his own role in the FIFAGate bribes scandal.

Hawilla, who has agreed a plea bargain deal with the United States judicial authorities, told the ongoing trial of former football bosses Jose Maria Marin (Brazil), Juan Angel Napout (Paraguay) and Manuel Burga (Peru) that he had been paying bribes since 1991 for football rights in South America.

The trio deny all charges of corruption.

Hawilla, who agreed to pay $151m to the US government, is a shareholder of TV Tem, an affiliate of Rede Globo. He is due for sentencing next April 23.

Hawilla had been secretly wired to record several conversations with others involved in the corruption scheme. One recording mentioned Marin and the current president of CBF, Marco Polo del Nero, in the case.

Hawilla said that in 1991 he was approached for the first time with a bribe request, by the then CONMEBOL president Nicolás Leoz who wanted illicit cash to renew a commercial rights contract for Copa America. Hawilla paid and went on paying, something he said he later regretted.

That contract included the Copa América in 1993, 1995 and 1997 and Hawilla said paying bribes was essential for the maintenance of Traffic’s business. In addition to Leoz, Hawilla said two other officials paid out included Julio Grondona, former president of the Argentinian football association between 1979 and 2014, and Ricardo Teixeira, former president of CBF between 1989 and 2012.

Hawilla siad that payments to both Teixeira and Grondona were for guarantees that the countries would play their best players.

Regarding payments to Teixeira, Hawilla said: “It started, I think, with $1m, then went up to $1.2mm, then $2, then $2.5, then $3million.”

Teixeira and Del Nero cannot be extradited from Brazil while Grondona died on July 30, 2014. Leoz is contesting extradition from Paraguay.

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