Trinidad and Tobago to rule Friday on extraditing FIFA official

A Trinidad and Tobago magistrate will rule Friday on whether to extradite former FIFA vice president Jack Warner to face charges linked to the corruption scandal sweeping football's governing body.

Warner, a 72-year-old a native of the Caribbean island, was indicted in May by a US grand jury on 12 charges of wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

Attorney General Faris Al Rawi on Monday authorized the extradition case to proceed, and on Friday a magistrate will issue a ruling after studying arguments presented by the prosecution and the defense.

Warner's defense however is challenging the decision, noting that Al Rawi's authorization was signed five days after a deadline set by the court.

On July 23 US authorities asked for Warner, a former head of football's governing body in North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), to be extradited to face the charges.

US authorities have charged 14 FIFA officials and sports marketing executives of soliciting and receiving more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks over two decades.

So far only three of those charged are in the jurisdiction of New York.

Warner and nine other 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, and one from Uruguay.

Swiss media reported in mid-September that FIFA president Sepp Blatter sold off television rights for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups to Warner at a knockdown price.

Swiss television channel SRF alleged that Blatter signed off the screening rights for South Africa and Brazil to Warner for $600,000 (529,000 euros) -- a mere five percent of their true market value.

Source: AFP