The 15-day preliminary detention ordered against
Peruvian Soccer Federation (FPF) Chairman, Agustin Lozano, and other sport executives, enforced on Thursday, is due to the alleged existence of a criminal organization within it.
Below is a summary of what the Public Ministry (Prosecutor's Office) asserts in this regard.
The arrests requested by the Prosecutor's Office included, in addition to Lozano, Joel Raffo (Chairman of Sporting Cristal soccer club), Gisella Mandriotti (Chairwoman of Cantolao soccer club), Humberto Miñan (Chairman of the Tumbes Soccer League), Jean Marcel Robilliard (Former Secretary of the FPF), Juan Carlos La Rosa (former soccer player), Sabrina Martín (Secretary of the FPF), Norma Alva (ticket sales operator), and Fredy Salazar (accountant for the FPF).
According to the Prosecutor's Office, these individuals may be part of a criminal organization called "Los Galacticos" (The Galactic Ones), which is alleged to have committed various criminal acts.
These crimes include money laundering, alleged extortion, generic falsehood, fraud in the management of a legal entity, and corruption.
Lozano is accused of being the leader of this alleged criminal organization.
Takeover of the FPF
The aforementioned criminal actions were allegedly intended to maintain control of the FPF through various registration actions carried out before the National Superintendence of Public Registries (Sunarp), subsequently taking control of the board of directors, the legal department, the general secretary, and other governing bodies.
It is stated that this takeover was motivated to "divert the FPF funds for purposes other than its civil association activities, without reporting this to the base assembly" of this institution.
In this context, the Prosecutor's Office also asserted that Lozano and the other alleged members of the aforementioned organization would have disposed used money from the federation in their favor, self-assigning amounts and forgiving debts owed by departmental soccer clubs and leagues.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, these actions would have generated a financial imbalance of S/8.3 million (about US$2.19 million) to the detriment of the FPF.
TV broadcasting rights
Within this framework, it is indicated that Lozano and his associates attempted to seize the television broadcasting rights for the Liga 1 (League 1) 2023 matches, "to the detriment of first division clubs of Peruvian soccer,"” while extorting the directors of these entities to achieve this goal.
In this regard, it is stated that this group "through its actions attempts to limit the right to image and hiring of first division professional soccer clubs."
The aim of this was –the Public Prosecutor's Office pointed out– to ensure that "all money from broadcasting rights would be solely and exclusively managed by Agustin Lozano."
The Prosecutor's Office also accuses FPF executives Raul Bao, Victor Bellido, Luis Alberto Duarte, Juan Dupuy, and Jose Carlos Isla of being alleged associates of Lozano in said criminal organization.
It is indicated that the first two were "financially benefited" with money from the federation, given in exchange for votes favorable to the interests of said institution’s head.
Regarding the charge of generic falsification, it is noted that in 2019 the Judiciary, through a ruling by the Supreme Court's Civil Chamber, declared the registration of the statute submitted by the FPF leadership to be null and void.
However, this was not communicated to the base members; instead, an assembly was called to modify the aforementioned text, despite the nullity established.
It is also indicated that Lozano did not inform the FPF members of the true administrative, economic, and financial situation of said institution, despite the fact that it was determined, through forensic analyses requested by base assembly members, that there were irregularities in the budget and the execution costs of the Chaclacayo Sports Village construction.
This would constitute the crime of fraud in the administration of a legal entity, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
(END) FGM/CVC/MVB
Published: 11/7/2024