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Mexico City, April 5 (IANS) Rafael Callejas, the former Honduras President convicted in the sprawling FIFA corruption scandal, died in the United States on Saturday.
The 76-year-old was under house arrest in Atlanta when he died after a battle with leukemia, according to media reports.
After serving as President of Honduras from 1990 to 1994, Callejas moved into football administration and headed the Honduras Football Federation from 2002 to 2015, reports Xinhua news agency.
He was indicted by the U.S. Justice Department in December 2015 as part of a wide-ranging probe into graft in football. Four months later Callejas pleaded guilty to racketeering and wire fraud charges in a New York court.
Current Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez paid tribute to the former head of state on Twitter.
"We deeply regret the passing of former President Rafael L. Callejas. My solidarity with his wife, Norma Regina de Callejas, their children and grandchildren," Hernandez said.
Meanwhile, the final phase of its inaugural Nations League tournament was suspended by North American, Central American and Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nations League semi-finals were scheduled for June 4, pitting Mexico against Costa Rica and Honduras against the United States.
--IANS
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