GENEVA, April 15 — Jose Maria Marin, the former president of Brazil Football Confederation (CBF), has been banned for life and fined 1 million Swiss francs (RM4.1 million) for taking bribes, the sport’s governing body Fifa said today.

Marin is currently serving a four-year sentence in prison at the United States after being convicted on corruption charges related to a bribery scandal at Fifa. He was also fined US$1.2 million and ordered to forfeit US$3.34 million.

Fifa’s investigation into Marin was linked with the awarding of contracts for the media and marketing rights to The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), CBF and CONCACAF competitions in 2012-2015.

"In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Marin had breached art. 27 (Bribery) of the Fifa Code of Ethics and, as a result, banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level,” Fifa said in a statement.

Marin was among the first to stand trial over what US prosecutors called a sprawling scheme involving payments of more than US$200 million of bribes and kickbacks in exchange for marketing and broadcast rights for football matches. — Reuters