The US has requested Switzerland to extradite the seven FIFA officials arrested in Zurich in May 2015 on suspicion of taking bribes worth over 100 million dollars.
The US embassy in Bern formally submitted the extradition documents on 1 July 2015, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) said in a statement. The request is the next stage in the extradition process.
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In return, those suspected of paying the bribes – representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms – are believed to have received media, marketing and sponsorship rights for soccer tournaments in the US and in Latin America.
These crimes are thought to have been agreed and prepared in the USA, and payments were allegedly routed through US banks.
The seven official facing extradition — who are being held in a prison near Zurich — are among 14 people, nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives, U.S. law officials have already charged with wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
The Swiss FOJ said local police in Zurich will now give the seven officials a hearing concerning the extradition requests.
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By GlobalDataThe organization added that the officials or their lawyers will have 14 days to respond to the charges.
After hearing the various arguments, the FOJ will rule on extradition "within a few weeks", but warned that the decision may then be challenged in the courts.
