From the Bleacher Report:
BBC News reported Sunday morning that “Edinho,” who played for his father’s former club Santos as a goalkeeper during the 1990s, “admits he had a drug problem but denies the trafficking charges.”
The 43-year-old was previously arrested in 2005 and sentenced as part of an operation to dismantle a drug ring in his home city of Santos, where Edinho was reportedly linked to a “notorious drug dealer,” per BBC News.
BBC News quoted Pele’s reaction in 2006 to his son’s charges: “God willing, justice will be done. There is not a shred of evidence against my son.”
Sky News note that Edinho will be allowed to remain free pending appeal, adding, “Though he admits buying drugs from the cartel, he denies working with them.”
Praia Grande criminal court in Sao Paulo also handed out identical sentences to three other defendants and ordered that all property seized by the police operation be confiscated. Sky News report that this included “about 100 cars.”
With this summer’s World Cup scheduled to kick off in a fortnight’s time, the tournament’s ambassador, Pele, must now deal with this as well.
And his dad is this year’s World Cup Ambassador, too. Sad.
To read the full story, click here for the Bleacher Report.
