Port of Spain, Sept. 23 – Former FIFA vice-president
Jack Warner will not be extradited to the United States to face bribery and
corruption charges, following a ruling by Trinidad and Tobago’s top court on
Tuesday.
Warner, once one of the most powerful figures in world
football, was accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes to help secure
Russia’s successful bid to host the 2018 World Cup. Though corruption
allegations against him date back to the 1980s, FIFA banned him for life in
2015.
Despite U.S. prosecutors branding Warner a key figure
in a decades-long corruption scandal that rocked FIFA, the Caribbean court
blocked the extradition request, stating that the Trump administration failed
to respect due process and the rule of law for non-citizens.
Warner, who has consistently denied wrongdoing, faces no
criminal charges in Trinidad and Tobago and is now expected to walk free.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) accused Warner of
leveraging his roles as FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president to enrich
himself while acting as a close ally of former FIFA president Sepp Blatter. The
DOJ described him as part of “two generations of soccer officials” who abused
their power for personal gain.
Two of Warner’s sons, Daryll and Daryan Warner,
previously pleaded guilty in the U.S. in 2013 for their roles in the scandal
and cooperated with prosecutors. A federal court ruled earlier this year that
they would not face additional prison time.
Blatter, meanwhile, was acquitted of corruption
charges in Switzerland earlier this year.
The DOJ has yet to comment on the Caribbean court’s
decision.
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