A huge corruption scandal has been uncovered in Honduran football after referees in the northern area made serious allegations of bribery to help teams win championships.
The line man, Omar Leiva, was the one who revealed in the program Panorama Deportivo from Radio Internacional, with evidence in the hand of the bribery attempt that was the subject and showed directly to the chairman of the referees, Oscar Velasquez who was his partner in the triplet officiating the dollar suitcase game.
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“I am sorry because the brave referees are silent. This decision was not easy in what I do. I ask my colleagues to say something. I put myself in danger because I did not accept $ 10,000 in a football match, $ 5,000 for the chairman of the Refereeing Commission and $ 5,000 for Omar Leiva, and the evidence is here, ”he said directly.
Say name? They insisted on Leiva and he revealed: “Óscar Velásquez (the current chairman of the Arbitration Commission was that of the other five thousand). They left me $ 10,000. I told them that I could not receive it and I have the courage to reject it “, he denounced.
“It’s a delicate thing, but when you don’t have a tail, be trampled and have the evidence. Why fear? I have evidence that my children saw that money and watched as I paid that money back. This is the legacy I leave to arbitration. This is the problem in this country, that we are afraid. Football is like politics, the referees do not want those who are in the Arbitration Commission, they do not allow us to burn tires “, said Leiva.
THE FINAL MATCH
Leiva’s complaint is that the representatives of one of the teams that contested the final of the 2013 Closing Ceremony in Tocoa, Colón, who played Real Sociedad vs Real España, offered them the 10 thousand dollars that were the trigger of this scandal.
For several years, the referees have liked it Gaspar Molina Now, the pensioner and Mario Moncada, also already off the field, revealed some anomalies in the whistles and some game tricks, but they never presented the tests as Omar Leiva did today.
Then they kept asking him. What game was it for? “I am focused on a very important game. He calls me from a phone call from a friend of mine, a former classmate, I answer him because he is my friend and I answer because I recorded him. It happens to person X and he tells me, Omar Leiva, remember that I need at least to tie the game “, reveals the flag bearer from Honduras.
He continues: “It is a great final between Real España and Real Sociedad there, in Tocoa. You heard, this decision was made by me and my family. I know the risk of my family running, don’t be afraid. There are colleagues who called me, physical coaches, former colleagues from the Referees Commission, active referees. Do not be afraid. It is difficult for you to take evidence and they close the doors “, he denounced.
The grand final took place in May 2013, when Real Spain was crowned champions on penalties. Leiva continues to clarify the bribery attempt. “I am focused on my colleagues, they called me on the phone and I told them; Gentlemen, excuse me, I can’t accept these things, I will only do my job, I am a professional, I will not accept them, but I will not affect them either. They said to me: Okay, you don’t want your family and they interrupted me. This is serious “, denounced the line man.
VELÁSQUEZ INSISTANCE IN MORE CALLS
Leiva denounced and left evidence that, if something happens to him or his family, the evidence of the complaint is already in several hands and showed those responsible. He claims that Velásquez called him in the days after the match to inform him of a request that was left to him at the home of the current member of the Refereeing Commission of the Football Federation of Honduras.
“Then I called my wife and children, I told them to leave the house. Maybe that’s what the Discipline Commission does. I’m in an important game and I have my family like that … this is not easy. They left the money on my house “, says the Honduran referee crying. He gains strength and continues: “The day I come after the final, I will take my family to a safe place. That’s what people who don’t know about arbitration don’t know, which we do to the referees of the San Pedro Sula branch, “he said.
“I took the money that Monday when I came back, the ones they left lying around and I went to look for the friend they used and I talked to his father and I said: He exposed me and I’m coming to get this money back. It was 10 thousand dollars, five thousand for the engineer (Óscar) Velásquez and five thousand for me. Thank God I had the courage to call them and tell them to bring him back after the final.
Leiva did not want to involve the two remaining comrades of the quartet who whistled that match led by Melvin Matamoros as director and Erick Andino as the fourth.
“It simply came to our notice then. Referee for this game was Melvin Matamoros, fourth was Erick Andino. But I testify what happened to me, I can’t speculate about them. So I went to leave him. “
“In this country, unfortunately, thanks to Omar Leiva, the money was returned. What is retaliation for me? This is a time bomb that leaders and journalists know. The evidence is in the Arbitration Discipline Commission “, denounced Leiva, who said that the evidence is in the hands of the authorities and there is still no evidence.
There is a witness of a person who was used and confirmed that those people who previously offered him money, wanted to repair the damage they caused him, offering him 50 thousand lempiras for his honesty. “I told you, not gentlemen, thank you and I did not take it. The problem is later on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday that my assistant colleague (Óscar Velásquez) calls me and says: Omar, they left you an order at home. He called me on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and I told him; brother, if you have a dirty business, call them and I’ll give it to you because I returned the 10 thousand dollars “, he denounced.
Diez sought the reactions of those involved, Beningo Pineda and Óscar Velásquez, but they did not respond to calls. In addition, a letter was leaked yesterday from Omar Leiva, who had requested a final farewell match, to which the Referees Commission did not respond. Leiva announced that he will never whistle in the National League again.