Webb appears in Brooklyn court as FIFA case rolls on

| 17/08/2015 | 14 Comments
Cayman News Service

Jeffrey Webb

(CNS): The former CONCACAF President, Caymanian Jeffrey Webb, appeared in court in New York on Friday and his case was adjourned until 9 October. Prosecutor Evan Norris told the judge that US officials had begun turning over evidence to Webb’s attorneys and that the case was proceeding. According to local press reports, Webb, who was accompanied by his wife, Kendra Gamble-Webb, and other family members, did not speak during the hearing.

Webb was arrested on behalf of the US Department of Justice alongside a number of other FIFA officials in Zürich in May, ahead of the football governing body’s annual conference. He was held in Switzerland for several weeks and was believed to be fighting extradition to the US, but then had a change of heart and agreed to go to New York, where he pleaded not guilty to the bribery and corruption charges against him.

Webb was bailed after stumping up $10 million in luxury items but must remain within a 20-mile radius of the Brooklyn court where his case is being prosecuted.

Webb is one of 18 men accused of being part of a massive racketeering scandal relating to FIFA, in which they are alleged to have taken millions of dollars in kickbacks for the broadcasting and marketing rights to major football tournaments in the region. When the US attorney’s office announced the rounding up of 14 FIFA officials and sports marketing executives in May, they also revealed that four men had already been arrested and pleaded guilty to offences relating to the FIFA probe.

Meanwhile, FIFA has launched its own internal probe, while the Swiss authorities continue their investigation into the bidding process for the Russia and Qatar World Cups. The US is also pressing ahead with its extradition request for several other officials. Julio Rocha, the former president of the Nicaraguan soccer federation, has consented to be extradited from Switzerland, not to the US but to his home country of Nicaragua, where an investigation is being carried out, Swiss officials said Friday.

Here in the Cayman Islands, Webb is also being accused of fraud and breach of trust in relation to a local corruption case at the hospital. Although local law enforcement officials were said to be beginning extradition proceedings to Switzerland, Webb opted to go to the US. It is not clear, now that Webb is in New York, whether the Cayman authorities have made any application to the US authorities regarding the local allegations and his extradition to his home country.

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Category: Courts, Crime, USA, World News

Comments (14)

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  1. Cass says:

    Waiting on the conspirators and co-conspirators to be named; at least those from Cayman. I am sure the general public would like to know of everyone from these islands who were involved in the FIFA scandal. I for one am so tired of the corruption in Cayman; will it ever get better? Or will we keep recycling the same ol’ folk over and over.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Is he uttering the standard cayman corruption response “my hands are clean and my heart is pure”? or “there are no regulations covering my crime, ergo it is not a crime”?

  3. Anonymous says:

    He seems to be saying…..I didn’t know that money was dirty.

  4. Knot S Smart says:

    I understand the point that he is making in that photo…

  5. Anonymous says:

    Wasn’t KPMG the global auditors for FIFA? With all these transfers of monies were being made around several countries, did they red flag any of these “suspect” transfers between FIFA officials and private companies during their audit processes? Was there any due diligence on the bidding processes for awarding rights to certain marketing companies or awarding the hosting of world cups? It is not just the various banks involved that need to be examined with respect to their roles in the money transfers (however innocent they may be), but also the organization’s auditors, whoever they may be.

    • Anonymous says:

      Never mind due diligence in FIFA/CONCACAF, what about the bidding process to award contracts for the GOAL projects on behalf of CIFA?

      • Anonymous says:

        Sounds like you have information on this matter. Please share it in this forum for all of us to be aware of any local shenanigans affecting the youth and sports of the Cayman Islands. You really do owe it to us if you are aware of GOAL projects being inaptly awarded.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Praying for you Jeff

    • Anonymous says:

      As a heterosexual, God is on his team.

    • Anonymous says:

      Are you praying for him to:
      a) Get justice, or
      b) Get off?

      • Anonymous. 345 cayman islands says:

        Praying for him to be free he will be set free. Of all charges why? Because he is an innocent man. And a man with a good heart. Stop hating all ye haters. If caymanians are not hating you you are not popping. President forever.

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