NEW YORK, United States--Former FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb was granted US $10 million bail, but placed under house arrest after pleading not guilty in a United States federal court to racketeering and bribery charges in a massive corruption scandal that rocked football’s world governing body.
His bail was signed by ten people – his wife and in-laws – when the Cayman Islands national appeared in court.
Under the terms of his release, the former president of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) will have to remain within 20 miles of the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York and wear an electronic monitoring device. Webb was also required to surrender his travel documents, and he handed over his Cayman Islands’ passport and two United Kingdom passports. He will be required to seek written permission from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to go anywhere. No date has been set for his trial.
The 50-year-old was extradited from Switzerland last week after spending 50 days in detention, along with six other FIFA officials. They had been held at a hotel in Zurich on May 27, two days before FIFA’s annual congress, after US officials filed the indictment.
Webb was provisionally banned from his posts at FIFA and CONCACAF after being indicted.
Unlike the other six, Webb did not fight his extradition and, according to international media reports, has been cooperating with authorities, disclosing what he knows about a 24-year scheme in which FIFA officials allegedly enriched themselves by rigging organisation elections and selling marketing and hosting rights to soccer tournaments and World Cup qualifying matches.
A total of 14 people – including media and marketing executives – are facing charges related to giving and accepting more than $150 million in bribes.
Meanwhile, the Trinidad Express newspaper is reporting that the US’ case against Webb’s predecessor at FIFA and CONCACAF, Jack Warner, has been completed and a formal extradition request is expected to be sent to Trinidad by Wednesday. ~Caribbean 360~
