ZUG (Switzerland), March 11: Prosecutors investigating the collapse of FIFA’s former marketing partner ISL presented evidence on Tuesday of payments made from a secret company bank account to FIFA executive committee member Nicolas Leoz.

Leoz, president of the South American Football Confederation (CSF) since 1986, was named among a long list of beneficiaries alleged to have received payment via a Liechtenstein bank account from a company wholly owned by ISL but never declared in the company structure of its holding firm ISMM.

The payments were set out in a 228-page prosecution document handed out to journalists on the opening day of a trial into ISL’s spectacular collapse in 2001.

Six former ISL and ISMM executives are facing charges ranging from embezzlement to the falsification of documents with prosecutors calling for prison sentences of up to four and a half years.

Leoz has not been charged with any wrongdoing and the prosecution papers gave no indication as to the purpose of the payments made to the 79-year-old Paraguayan in January and May 2000, totalling $130,0000.

The prosecution file argues that the overall purpose of the Liechtenstein account was to bribe sporting officials in an effort to secure lucrative contracts for ISL.

The Zug-based firm collapsed in May 2001 with estimated debts or around $300 million.

ISL managed FIFA’s marketing and television rights for more than 20 years.—Reuters