Wed, September 24, 2025
Ex-FIFA vice-president avoids extradition to U.S. for corruption charges
After a ten-year court battle, 82-year-old former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner will not be extradited to the U.S. over corruption charges following a ruling made by a high court in his home country Trinidad and Tobago. The ruling was made by Justice Karen Reid who stated that the extradition could not take place because there was no official extradition agreement, which is a formal agreement between two countries for the surrender of an individual accused or convicted of a crime to stand trial or serve a sentence in the jurisdiction where the crime was committed.
Warner received a life-ban from FIFA in 2015 and was charged with wire fraud, racketeering and money-laundering by the U.S that year as well.
Warner allegedly took a $5 million (£3.7 million) bribe to vote for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup, though he has always insisted that he is not guilty of doing so. However, according to Reuters, two of Warner's sons, Daryll and Daryan, pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme in the U.S. in 2013.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) indictment states: “Several of the accounts used to wire money to Warner received or sent wire transfers to or from companies based in the United States that performed work on behalf of the 2018 Russia World Cup bid.”
Warner was also allegedly paid $1.6 million (£1.2 million) by former Qatar FIFA member Mohamed bin Hammam, and $450,000 (£333,000) was received before the vote for the 2022 World Cup which was subsequently hosted by Qatar.
Warner stated that he was only accused of corruption because neither the U.S. nor the UK won the 2018 or 2022 bids: “They [the UK and U.S.] were therefore not pleased and thereafter began a campaign against FIFA which resulted in the arrest and prosecution of several Executive Committee members of FIFA who had assembled for a meeting in Zurich.”
According to a report by lawyer Michael Garcia, Warner allegedly made inappropriate requests to England’s 2018 bid team and in response, “the bid team often accommodated his wishes, in apparent violation of bidding rules and the FIFA code of ethics.” Warner also asked the Football Association (FA) to clear a £215,000 debt owned by Jamacia’s FA and for financial aid for his home football club. As the former president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), one of FIFA's six continental governing bodies for association football, Warner played a big role in World Cup bids.
Initially, Warner lost an appeal to avoid extradition to the U.S. in a London court in 2022, but the high court in Trinidad and Tobago ruled in his favour.
Warner expressed to the Associated Press: “I could never get back the lost reputation, which has happened to me. My life can now begin afresh, but it’s ten years too late.” Warner will not face any charges in his home country.
Warner was also closely tied to former FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Earlier this year an appeals court cleared Blatter of impropriety over a payment of 2 million Swiss francs (£1.6 million) Blatter made to former UEFA president Michel Platini.
