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Figueredo, 83, used to run Uruguayan soccer and was vice
president of the South American soccer confederation CONMEBOL
from 1993 to 2013. He then briefly headed CONMEBOL for a year
before stepping down to take up the role as FIFA vice president.
He was arrested in Zurich on May 27 on the basis of a U.S.
arrest warrant as part of a probe into soccer's top bodies.
The U.S. indictment accuses Figueredo of taking bribes worth
millions of dollars from a Uruguayan sports marketing company in
connection with the sale of marketing rights to the Copa America
tournaments in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2023.
His extradition to the United States is under appeal, while the
Uruguayan justice has also requested to put him on trial on
charges of money laundering. Swiss authorities must now decide
which country they send him to.
"It is preferable that he presents himself before the justice of
our country," his Uruguayan lawyer Karen Pintos said, confirming
her client was willing to collaborate in making information
available to the authorities.
A Uruguayan judge earlier this year seized nine properties
belonging to Figueredo, as part of the country's investigations
into his activities.
The prosecutor in charge of the case, Juan Gomez, said he would
have to make available data that would enable authorities to
identify the authors of the crimes he was involved with.
He would also have to provide data about foods and money that
"would enable the state to recuperate them".
(Reporting by Malena Castaldi; Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing
by Bernard Orr)
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