July 28 – Former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has bought yet more time in his bid to avoid being extradited from his native Trinidad and Tobago to the United States to face corruption charges as part of the FBI probe into widespread corruption involving senior football officials.
The case against Warner, currently on bail facing a dozen charges including bribery, corruption and wire fraud conspiracy, has been adjourned for another month after state and defence lawyers requested more time to study US allegations.
Warner was among 14 high-ranking officials and marketing executives indicted in late May to face 47 charges for their roles in the unprecedented corruption scandal that involved $150 million and stretches back 24 years. After Trinidad authorities were served with notice to detain Warner pending an extradition application, he was arrested and released initially on $2.5 million bail with his passport held.
Warner, arguably the most tainted individual in the history of FIFA, faces a lengthy jail term if found guilty. He has hired a powerful legal team in his bid to stay out of the hands of US officials. The 72-year-old appeared at Port-of-Spain Magistrates court in the Trinidadian capital on Monday as government and defense lawyers discussed the proceedings. The case was adjourned until August 28 when a date for the start of the full extradition case will be set.
Warner said outside court he has instructed his team to file for a judicial review of the extradition proceedings on the grounds that Trinidad Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s government had “prosecuted” the case against him and made it impossible for him to get a fair trial.
“I have instructed my legal team to initiate judicial proceedings against the government because of political bias,” he told reporters.
“I’m saying they judged the case in the public domain and therefore to get a fair trial, it would not be easy for me,” added Warner, leader of the opposition Independent Liberal Party in his country. “As such, I have filed for judicial review.”
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