FIFA’s Vice-president charged in Cayman Island’s Corruption Case

Suspended FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb, already facing charges in soccer’s global bribery scandal, has now been charged in a healthcare fraud case in his native Cayman Islands, local media reported on Friday.

Cayman authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Webb and are expected to seek his extradition, reported Cayman 27 television.

Webb is currently detained in Switzerland after being arrested and indicted by the FBI last month and already faces an extradition request from the United States in relation to the soccer corruption charges brought by the Department of Justice.

Webb was one of seven powerful figures arrested in Zurich on May 27 two days before FIFA’s annual congress, stunning world soccer. The charges by U.S. prosecutors include allegations that millions of dollars were paid in bribes in FIFA’s selection process to host men’s World Cups and other major tournaments.

Webb’s close associate Canover Watson, also a football official in the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean Football Union, was arrested last year on five charges including fraud, money-laundering relating to the CarePay card swipe payment system at the Cayman Health Services Authority.

“The Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission can confirm that in connection with the ongoing investigation into the CarePay project, further charges have today been laid at Court in relation to Canover Watson, Jeffrey Webb and Miriam Rodriguez,” said a Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Commission statement, according to Cayman 27 television station’s website.

“A warrant for Mr. Webb’s arrest has today been issued. We understand that he is currently being detained by the authorities in Switzerland. It is anticipated that proceedings will be instigated for his extradition to answer these charges,” the statement added.

The report said that Webb faces two charges of conspiracy to defraud and one charge of breach of trust, as well as ‘conspiracy to convert criminal property’.

The 50-year-old Webb was elected as head of CONCACAF, the confederation governing the sport in North and Central America and the Caribbean, in 2012. Before the FIFA scandal he was viewed as a potential successor to FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

The Cayman Islands Anti Corruption Commission did not immediately respond when contacted for comment.

Source: Reuters