Yahoo – AFP,
29 Sep 2015
Geneva (AFP) - The Swiss justice ministry on Tuesday approved the extradition to the United States of Costa Rican national Eduardo Li, one the FIFA officials whose arrest in May ignited an unprecedented crisis in world football.
The Swiss justice ministry approves the extradition to the United States of the former head of the Costa Rican Football Federation Eduardo Li, pictured on May 17, 2011 (AFP Photo/Rodrigo Arangua) |
Geneva (AFP) - The Swiss justice ministry on Tuesday approved the extradition to the United States of Costa Rican national Eduardo Li, one the FIFA officials whose arrest in May ignited an unprecedented crisis in world football.
"The
Federal Office of Justice (FoJ) has approved the extradition of Eduardo Li to
the USA. The Costa-Rican citizen has 30 days in which to appeal to the Swiss
Federal Criminal Court against the FOJ's ruling," a statement said.
Li, the
former head of the Costa Rican Football Federation, was one of seven FIFA
officials arrested in Zurich on May 27 following a US indictment on charges
that he took bribes while selling football television rights.
"Li
massively influenced the competitive situation and distorted the market for
media rights in connection with the World Cup qualifying matches," said
the FoJ statement.
"Other
sports marketing companies were placed at a disadvantage. Furthermore, among
other things the Costa Rican Football Federation was prevented from negotiating
marketing agreements which might have been more favourable."
The FoJ
said that "all of the conditions for extradition" had been fulfilled.
Swiss
authorities had already approved the extradition to the US to face the same
charges of others arrested in the corruption sting -- former Venezuelan
Football Federation president Rafael Esquivel and Uruguayan former FIFA
vice-president Eugenio Figueredo, while the former president of the Nicaraguan
Football Federation Julio Rocha agreed last month to be extradited back to his
home country.
Although
not among the seven arrested, FIFA president Sepp Blatter is being investigated
by Swiss prosecutors over the sale of World Cup television rights and a $2
million (1.8 million euros) payment to UEFA president Michel Platini.
Two other
former FIFA officials, Jack Warner and American Chuck Blazer, have been banned
from all football-related activities for life for their roles in the sale of
television rights at grossly deflated values.
Warner is
fighting extradition to the US from his home on Trinidad and Tobago while
Blazer has turned whistleblower and is assisting US authorities.
US
authorities have charged 14 people in relation to more than $150 million (134.5
million euros) in bribes given for television and marketing deals.
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