US expects more FIFA suspects in court soon

NEW YORK: The US government expects additional defendants to appear before a federal judge within weeks or months in connection with the FIFA corruption scandal, a New York court heard Friday.
Assistant attorney Evan Norris made the remark during a brief pre-trial hearing attended by Argentine sports marketing executive Alejandro Burzaco, who has already surrendered to US authorities in the case.
"I do think we'll see additional defendants appear in court before your honor over the coming weeks and months," Norris told District Judge Raymond Dearie at the federal court in Brooklyn.
The FIFA scandal, in which US authorities accuse officials of soliciting and receiving more than US$150 million (RM634 million) bribes and kickbacks over two decades, has scandalised world soccer.
The United States has charged 14 FIFA officials and sports marketing executives, but so far only three are in the jurisdiction of New York.
Ten defendants are still fighting extradition to the United States – six from Switzerland where they were arrested in a May swoop on a Zurich hotel – two from Argentina, one from Uruguay and one from Trinidad.
On Thursday, Switzerland ruled in favor of extradition for the first of the six – former FIFA vice president Eugenio Figueredo – who has 30 days to file an appeal.
Norris told the court Friday that if he chose not to appeal, the United States would make arrangements for his surrender and travel "immediately."
If not, Norris said it was safe to assume it would be a "few months" before the appeals process was exhausted and he could be sent to New York.
Switzerland is expected to rule on the remaining five extradition requests by the end of the month.
Norris said it was harder to get an update on the defendants in Argentina, Paraguay and Trinidad, as those countries were less "publicly transparent" than Switzerland.
Norris reiterated that the government anticipates bringing additional charges in the case, but said he had no timeframe "right now."
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in Zurich on Monday that she expects more charges against "individuals and entities" in the scandal.
The court heard Friday that evidence, including bank records and contracts, has been handed over to lawyers representing Burzaco and a US sports marketing executive, Aaron Davidson.
Burzaco and Davidson have both pleaded not guilty and are released on bail.
Davidson, president of Traffic Sports USA who was also arrested in Zurich, was excused from attending Friday's hearing.
Both men are due back in court on Nov 18.
Norris suggested that the third defendant, former FIFA vice president Jeffrey Webb, also attend the same hearing.
Burzaco, who wore a charcoal suit and blue tie, did not speak during the hearing.
The Argentinian-Italian citizen is the former general manager and board chairman of Torneos y Competencias, SA, an Argentine sports marketing company. – AFP