TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2015 SPORTS S American HQ could face raids if new law passes ASUNCION: Lawmakers across prosecutors are prohibited from search- files that might aid the U.S. investiga- votes in favor are required for the bill to been no confiscation of his property,” Paraguay’s political divide are urging ing it. CONMEBOL’s home sprawls across tion. “The urgency for the Senate to act is pass, ending a status that critics said said Preda, Leoz’s lawyer. Leoz is likely to senators to approve stripping the head- the manicured grounds of a 98-acre (40- precisely that documents could disap- echoed FIFA culture. fight extradition to the United States, quarters of South American football of its hectare) site on the outskirts of the pear while it is being debated,” said Hugo “The diplomatic immunity that CON- given Preda said his client had been “sur- legal immunity, a status that spotlights Paraguayan capital, Asuncion, and Rubin, the congressman who drafted the MEBOL has received for nearly two prised” by the charges and that he was how soccer’s global governing body FIFA boasts a luxury hotel and helipad. new legislation. decades in Paraguay is illustrative of the innocent. has often been able to skirt legally The existing law provides legal immu- However, it was not clear if the legisla- legal grey area in which FIFA operates Leoz successfully brushed off previ- around national laws. nity for the headquarters, although tion would stand up to challenges over within host countries,” security consul- ous corruption allegations and enjoys a A draft bill to remove the immunity CONMEBOL’s officials themselves do not documents and electronic files created tancy group InSight Crime wrote in a quasi-hero status in the South American was put to Congress in late May, days enjoy the same personal legal immunity before the new law became active. The briefing note. country, a footballing minnow that bor- after U.S. authorities indicted 14 past and as diplomats and their private homes draft bill makes no reference to retroac- If immunity is lifted, police agents ders soccer giants Argentina and Brazil. present senior soccer officials and sports and offices are not covered. tive powers, Rubin said, raising the may swoop, as Swiss authorities have on There are still some lawmakers who media executives on a series of corrup- As a former president of the body, specter of legal disputes over what FIFA and the FBI on the headquarters of support the status quo. Senator Miguel tion charges, including bribery and mon- Leoz had no more immunity than any might be permissible in court. President Confederation of North, Central America Saguier defended the current immunity ey laundering. FIFA President Sepp other Paraguayan citizen and no longer Horacio Cartes has thrown his weight and Caribbean Association Football, law and said it had been demanded by Blatter announced his resignation last occupied any offices covered by the behind the bill and would be likely to CONCACAF, in Miami. A spokesman for FIFA as a condition for Paraguay hosting week as the investigation of FIFA and its existing law, his lawyer Ricardo Preda sign the bill into effect rapidly if it is Paraguay’s national police did not CONMEBOL. “Such immunity does not affiliates continued to widen. said. Preda has said his client maintains passed by the Senate. Cartes, a business respond to requests for comment. Leoz, prevent the imprisonment of anyone. Among those indicted was Nicolas his innocence. magnate, became president in 2013, 86, and the other defendants were They are creating a storm in a tea cup,” Leoz, a Paraguayan national and former Supporters of the bill, which sped returning his center-right Colorado Party indicted by U.S. authorities for allegedly Saguier said in recent comments to president of CONMEBOL, the sport’s gov- through the lower house of Congress last to power after a brief period of leftist rule running a criminal enterprise that Paraguay’s National Radio. The Liberal erning organization in South America. week, say they are confident it will win of the country. The Colorado Party holds involved more than $150 million in Party senator did not say how he would But if U.S. justice officials wanted the Senate’s backing because it is broad- 19 of the Senate’s 45 seats. bribes. He ran CONMEBOL (the South vote. Paraguayan authorities to raid the con- ly popular. A vote in the senate could be The opposition Liberal Party, the sec- American Football Confederation) for 27 On Saturday, Juan Angel Napout, the federation’s HQ in the hunt for evidence, held as early as Thursday. ond biggest bloc in the Senate, also sup- years until 2013, and is now under house current head of CONMEBOL, promised to they will have been disappointed up to The draft legislation would lift the ports the legislation. Blas Llano, head of arrest in his plush residence in an up- “promote transparency” and said the now. The pseudo-diplomatic status legal shield around CONMEBOL’s physical Congress and a Liberal Party senator, has market neighborhood in the capital. body would ensure the current immuni- granted to the complex by the govern- space and allow police to search the said CONMEBOL’s immunity privileges “There has been no request too ty provisions did not hinder investiga- ment in 1997 means that police and complex for documents and computer “deserve to be revoked.” Twenty three search any of his properties. There has tions. —Reuters Boca back to winning ways BUENOS AIRES: Boca Juniors returned free kick in a line-up missing midfield to winning ways with a crushing 4-0 pair Fernando Gago and Nicolas home victory over Newell’s Old Boys in Lodeiro, who are both on international the Argentine championship on duty with Argentina and Uruguay. Sunday, though none of their fans were Dani Osvaldo was also missing after there to see it. being absent from training all week due Boca, playing at an empty La to a personal issue. The striker may Bombonera for a second time as pun- have played his last game for Boca ishment for crowd violence at their since his loan spell from Southampton Libertadores Cup tie with arch-rivals ends on June 30, though the club have River Plate last month, broke a run of said they want to try to keep him. San two league defeats and stayed second Lorenzo lead the standings by one with the win. point after being held 0-0 by Belgrano They have 31 points from 15 match- on Saturday. River, with 28 points from es at the halfway point in the champi- 13 matches, are playing at Olimpo in onship, which now shuts down for a Sunday’s late match and could go top month for the Copa America in Chile. before the championship resumes as The tournament kicks off on Friday. they have a game in hand at Tigre that “The win is good for our spirits,” said could be played during the recess. Boca coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena. “I Racing Club are two points behind San liked the team ... we have 33 players in Lorenzo after beating Velez Sarsfield 3- the squad and the kids who played 1 at El Cilindro, where Diego Milito had responded well.” a penalty saved but rounded off the Central defender Daniel Diaz gave win with a brilliant solo goal near the Boca the lead in the fifth minute with a end. —Reuters ONTARIO: Germany’s Anja Mittag (11) watches her shot enter the net as she leaps over Ivory Coast’s goaltender Dominique Thiamale (16) beside Sophie Aguie (21) during second half FIFA Womenís World Cup soccer action. —AP Germany thrash I Coast 10-0 Women’s World Cup OTTAWA: Top-ranked Germany announced their we’d win 10-0,” said German coach Silvia Neid. game. “It’s not what we’re used to, but we have arrival at the Women’s World Cup on Sunday by The biggest defeat in Women’s World Cup his- to accept it,” said German striker Mittag. Other handing out a near-record 10-0 thrashing to tory came in 2007, when Germany beat teams that could reach the July 5 final include Ivory Coast that underlined the gulf between Argentina 11-0. Ivory Coast coach Clementine the second-ranked United States, who start in the heavyweights and emerging teams. Toure said her team had been somewhat taken Winnipeg on Monday against Australia, the For the first time, the World Cup has been aback by just how good the Germans were. “We number 10 side. expanded to 24 sides from 16, which opens up want to be a competitive side and playing the “If we can bring our ‘A’ game that day, I’m sure the tournament to newcomers like Thailand and finest team in the world is the best way for us to we’re going to be a big rival to the U.S.”, said Ivory Coast. learn,” she said. A few hours before her players Australian coach Alen Stajcic. The teams are in Governing body FIFA says this reflects the were humiliated, Norway had outmuscled Group D, the so-called ‘Group of Death’, which increasing strength of women’s soccer but the Thailand, and only wasteful finishing prevented also features fifth-ranked Sweden and Nigeria. debutants learned on Sunday just how far them from scoring many more. There were only two games on Saturday and behind they still are. “We’ll play differently the next game ... we’ve Sunday but starting on Monday, that will dou- Germany’s victory in their Group B opener, learned quite a bit,” said rueful Thai coach ble.