ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) - Juan Angel Napout has officially resigned Friday as the head of South American soccer after being arrested last week in Switzerland on corruption charges issued by U.S. authorities.
The governing body CONMEBOL made the announcement at an executive committee meeting in the Paraguayan capital.
Napout faces charges in the United States of bribery and racketeering.
The last three CONMEBOL presidents are under arrest in connection with the growing FIFA corruption scandal: Napout of Paraguay, and former presidents Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay and Eugenio Figueredo of Uruguay.
Vice president Wilmar Valdez of Uruguay presided over Friday’s meeting. He is also the head of the Uruguay federation.
“Napout on Thursday sent his resignation by email through his lawyers in Switzerland,” Valdez explained. “On Friday we checked to confirm the email and the executive committee accepted it.”
Valdez is taking over because two other vice presidents - Rafael Esquivel of Venezuela and Sergio Jadue of Chile - are also being held on corruption charges.
Valdez said elections for a new president would be held Jan. 26.
Valdez declined to answer questions about legal matters surrounding CONMEBOL’s leadership.
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