FIFA official extradited to US

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) has extradited a FIFA official to the United States as part of the on-going corruption investigation into world football’s governing body.

The official, who was not named by FOJ, was arrested on May 27 – having been among 14 men indicted for racketeering conspiracy and corruption by the United States’ Department of Justice (USDoJ).

FIFA vice-presidents Jeffrey Web and Eugenio Figueredo were identified as being arrested by the USDoJ, along with executive committee member Eduardo Li, development officer Julio Rocha, attache to the CONCACAF president Costas Takkas, CONMEBOL executive committee member Rafael Esquivel and FIFA organising committee member Jose Maria Marin.

Last week it was revealed that one of the officials had agreed to be extradited, and the FOJ confirmed on Thursday that he had been handed over to US police. 

“The FIFA official who agreed last week to his extradition was extradited to the USA on 15 July,” an FOJ spokesman said when contacted by Perform.

“He was handed over to a three-man US police escort in Zurich who accompanied him on the flight to New York.”