ANKARA
Interpol on Wednesday issued notices against six people wanted by U.S. authorities in connection with corruption allegations.
The international police agency issued “red notices” for two former senior FIFA officials, including ex-Vice President Jack Warner, and four business executives from South America.
The men are among the 14 suspects indicted in the U.S. last week on charges of racketeering and money laundering. Seven of those were arrested in Zurich and are awaiting extradition to the U.S.
The issuing of the wanted notices, which inform member nations of an outstanding arrest warrant but do not compel national police authorities to arrest the wanted person, came the day after FIFA President Sepp Blatter stood down.
According to anonymous sources that spoke to the New York Times, Blatter is the focus of the U.S. corruption investigation and investigators are hoping those under indictment will help build a case against the former president.
As well as Warner, the Interpol notices seek the arrests of former FIFA executive committee member Nicolas Leoz, from Paraguay; Alejandro Burzaco, an Argentine who runs a sports marketing business; Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, two other Argentines involved in sports marketing; and Brazilian Jose Margulies, who owns broadcasting firm.
Warner, who served as a FIFA vice president from 1997 to 2011 and as the president of the North American and Caribbean football confederation from 1990 to 2011, is said to have taken bribes to award the 2010 World Cup to South Africa. The South African government has denied making any corrupt payment.
Last week, Warner was arrested in his native Trinidad and Tobago and released on bail.
The U.S. Department of Justice has said those under investigation are suspected of accepting bribes and kickbacks estimated at more than $150 million over 24 years.
On Tuesday, it was claimed that FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, Blatter’s deputy, was involved in receiving a $10 million bribe connected to South Africa's World Cup bid.
Authorities in Switzerland have also launched a separate investigation into the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.
