Soccer body launches probe after locker room video of Suriname vice president raises 'integrity issues'

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(CNN)It's not often that you'd find a country's person connected the shot pitch. And it's adjacent rarer arsenic a professional, arsenic Suriname's Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk finds himself astatine the precocious diversion property of 60.

Suriname is simply a South American state with a colonisation of astir 600,000, but Brunswijk has conscionable taken clip retired from his vice-presidential duties to skipper the nine that helium owns, Inter Moengotapoe, successful a CONCACAF League match, a second-tier planetary nine contention akin to UEFA's Europa League.

Inter yet mislaid 6-0 against Honduran broadside CD Olimpia connected Tuesday, according to the authoritative CONCACAF lucifer report.

    Brunswijk has been Suriname's vice-president since July 2020.

    Brunswijk "made past by becoming the oldest player, astatine 60 years of age, to play successful an planetary nine competition," according to ESPN.

      But it's not conscionable his exploits connected the transportation that's raising eyebrows; it's what allegedly happened aft the crippled that has led to CONCACAF launching a ceremonial investigation.

      In a video shared connected societal media, Brunswijk appears to beryllium handing retired currency bills to radical successful the CD Olimpia locker room, earlier leaving with a garment of the Honduran club.

      In a statement sent to CNN, CONCACAF said it was "extremely acrophobic astatine the contented of a video circulating connected societal media which raises imaginable integrity issues surrounding the Concacaf League lucifer betwixt Inter Moengotapoe and CD Olimpia.

      "The substance is being referred to the Concacaf Disciplinary Committee who volition commence a ceremonial probe and a further update volition beryllium provided erstwhile that process has concluded."

      'We did our job'

      Brunswijk had pulled connected the fig 61 garment for the nine that helium owns, but his engagement successful the lucifer has besides raised questions arsenic to whether helium had disrespected the competition.

      CD Olimpia subordinate Johnny Leverón spoke to the property pursuing the game, saying that each squad is escaped to marque immoderate determination they deliberation is best.

      "It's a concern for our opponents, we don't get progressive successful that," said Leverón, who said helium thought a batch of attraction was being paid to Brunswijk's appearance.

       South America's 'Lost World' rediscovered

      "Like I said, contiguous we did our job," helium added.

      A writer besides asked Gustavo Reggi, CD Olimpia adjunct coach, if helium felt disrespected by Brunswijk's appearance.

      Reggi said they recovered retired that the vice president would play fractional an hr earlier the crippled started, but said it was a substance for Inter Moengotapoe, not his team.

      "Whoever is successful beforehand of us, we person to springiness our all," said Reggi.

      CNN has contacted CD Olimpia, Inter Moengotapoe, CONCACAF and the bureau of the Surinamese Vice President for comment.

      Suriname is simply a erstwhile Dutch colony which gained independency successful 1975.

      Brunswijk has a wide reported backstory, including a condemnation successful the Netherlands for cause trafficking, but became vice-president successful July 2020. The Dutch tribunal strategy did not instantly respond to CNN's petition for much details astir the conviction.

      "Everything I have, I springiness it to the people," Brunswijk told the New York Times successful January. "Ever since I was a child, I wanted to assistance others. I present person the accidental to assistance the full country."

        Chan Santokhi was elected president astatine the time, and referenced Brunswijk's checkered past.

        "Mr. Brunswijk has his history. We could look astatine his past and spot that arsenic a barrier," Santokhi told the New York Times."We're looking guardant to a amended future, due to the fact that we are 2 leaders who person been entrusted to pb this federation together."

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