FIFA’s Figueredo agrees to extradition to Uruguay

Former FIFA vice president Eugenio Figueredo has agreed to be extradited from Switzerland to his home country of Uruguay, where he faces corruption charges, the Swiss justice ministry said Wednesday.

But the extradition could be challenged by the United States, which indicted Figueredo in May as part of its massive probe into decades of graft at the top of world football.

The Swiss justice ministry (FOJ) has approved Figueredo’s extradition to both the United States and Uruguay.

“It will be for the US authorities to state whether or not they agree to Uruguay being given priority. If the US authorities do not agree, the issue will be decided by the FOJ,” a statement from FOJ spokesman Folco Galli said.

Figueredo, 83 and a former vice-president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), has been charged by the US justice department with using his influence to solicit millions of dollars worth of bribes from sports marketing firms.

He was among the seven FIFA officials arrested in May at a luxury hotel in Zurich by Swiss authorities acting on the US indictment, arrests that kicked off an unprecedented storm with world football’s governing body.

While Figueredo was detained in Switzerland, Uruguayan authorities launched a separate investigation and have since charged him with abusing his office.

Figueredo continues to fight against extradition to the United States.