November 6 – Former FIFA vice president Eugenio Figueredo, one of the infamous ‘Zurich Seven’, is hoping to avoid being extradited to the United States by co-operating instead with a separate investigation in his native Uruguay.
Once one of the most powerful men in world football, the 83-year-old one-time CONMEBOL president was one of those detained in the dawn swoop 48 hours before the FIFA congress in May and faces a 20-year sentence if found guilty of money laundering and racketeering.
Currently suspended from all football duty Figueredo is accused of taking bribes worth millions of dollars from a Uruguayan sports marketing company in connection with the sale of marketing rights to the Copa America tournaments in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2023.
His extradition is under appeal but the Uruguayuan justice officials have also requested to put him on trial on charges of money laundering and Swiss authorities must now decide where to send him.
“It is preferable that he presents himself before the justice of our country,” his Uruguayan lawyer Karen Pintos was quoted as saying, confirming her client was willing to collaborate in making information available to the authorities.
A Uruguayan judge earlier this year seized nine properties belonging to Figueredo as part of the country’s investigations into his activities.
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