Former CIFA official sent to US in FIFA scandal
Costas Takkas, , the former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association
(CNS): Costas Takkas, the former secretary-general of the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) and one time attaché to Jeffrey Webb when he was president of CONCACAF, has been was extradited to the US ten months after he was arrested in Zürich alongside Webb and other FIFA officials when the massive football corruption scandal broke. Swiss officials said Tuesday that he was escorted by two US police officers on the flight to New York, where he was handed over to US authorities, following the failure of his appeal earlier this month against the extradition decision. He has reportedly pleaded not guilty to bribery charges and is now under house arrest
Takkas, who was born in Cyprus and holds both Greek and British nationalities, is accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes while working for Webb on his behalf, regarding marketing rights related to various football tournaments.
The appeal by Julio Rocha, the former President of the Nicaraguan Football Federation, was also rejected earlier this month. He is the only FIFA official still in Swiss custody, the authorities in Zürich stated.
The Swiss approved his extradition to the US in October, which has taken precedence over extradition to Nicaragua, as his home country had also asked for Rocha in relation to their own corruption probe. Rocha has ten days in which to lodge an appeal with the Federal Supreme Court in Switzerland.
As the FIFA scandal continues to roll on, Webb, who has already been convicted of racketeering charges, is expected to be sentenced in June. He remains under house arrest in his Atlanta mansion, which appears to have been financed by ill-gotten gains from his time as a football boss and from a corrupt contract he and convicted fraudster Canover Watson had with the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority.
The details were revealed in the eight-week trial in which Watson was convicted but Webb was not in the dock as a result of his US case. Although Cayman officials had previously spoken about Webb’s extradition from Switzerland to his home country, there has been no indication from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions whether an official request has been made to the United States since Webb agreed to cooperate with the authorities there in the FIFA case.
Webb is also now facing a lawsuit from FIFA to try and recover some of the funds they say Webb creamed off during his times as CONCACAF president and FIFA VP. Although he gave up some $6.7 million to the US authorities, the sports body does not believe a thorough seizure of Webb’s assets has been made after he was pictured on CNS enjoying his wife’s lavish 40th Harlem Renaissance-themed birthday party last month on the weekend his best friend and business partner Watson began serving a seven year term in HMP Northward.
Category: Crime
The dragnet is widening, hopefully some of the hangers on will soon be swept up. We still have a lot to be grateful for as of right now it’s only Jeffy and Takas but later on this might cost us our tookus.
The UDP hangers on you mean, you telling me none of them knew and benefitted from what was going on. They only kept quiet cos the pay was good.
Too late for him to sing Jeff has done all that already!
Looks like he has eaten well…..
Yes Georgie Porgie Pudding and pie My hope is he tells them exactly which spy agency he was snitching for here and why he left to go elsewhere right after they ran their mole outta this place for his nefarious activities. Careful what you wish for you hear?
He needs tell all what he knows about the monies that were sent from FIFA to CIFA and start naming names so criminal and civil proceedings can take place. Blake needs spill some beans as well. He was around long enough to say a ting or two, particularly since he was both an accountant and a lawyer. Was he a chef as well I wonder?
Costas is Caymanian
Only when it suits those that it matters to. This is not one of those times.
Do we get to thank Mac for his status grant?
Oh oh. That would be an interesting tangle to the Webb.
Maybe this will take that “smile” off his face after so much arrogance during CONCACAF/FIFA/CIFA events in Cayman when appeared as if he invented football in the Cayman Islands. However, we now know he was acting on behalf of JW and others to embezzle the funds directed to assist the game.
Well..not sure who is will “sing like a canery bird” but I know a little of Costas (I once had to deal with him)and he will shortly be spilling all “da beans”!…
One can only hope!