Interpol has announced it has issued red notices -- or international wanted persons alerts -- for former FIFA officials and executives including Jack Warner and Nicolas Leoz.
The red notices have been issued at the request of the U.S. Justice Department for charges including racketeering, conspiracy and corruption.
Former FIFA vice president Warner, from Trinidad, and ex-FIFA member, Leoz from Paraguay, have been named. Warner is currently on bail in Trinidad and Leoz reported to be under house arrest in Paraguay.
#INTERPOL Red Notices for 2 former #FIFA officials & 4 execs on charges inc #racketeering #conspiracy #corruption pic.twitter.com/y53m2X1ZkC
- INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) June 3, 2015
Warner, 72, has been charged in a U.S. corruption case that has led to the arrests of more than a dozen international FIFA officials and businessmen.
Warner left a Trinidad jail by ambulance last Thursday, with judicial officer Ibrahim Ali saying he had complained of exhaustion and was not able to face questions from reporters gathered for several hours outside the jail.
However, the 72-year-old gave a defiant speech to supporters on Thursday in the district he represents the Independent Liberal Party as an opposition member of the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament.
He said: "If I have been thieving FIFA money for 30 years, who gave me the money? How come he is not charged? Why only persons from Third World countries have been charged?"
Leoz, 86, who has been receiving care for hypertension in the Paraguayan capital Asuncion, was named in the U.S. indictments which charged nine FIFA officials and five marketing executives with handling over $150 million in bribes.
The Paraguayan was in charge of football in CONMEBOL for 27 years before stepping down in 2013 and was a member of FIFA's executive committee for a decade.
Judge Humberto Otazu had ruled Leoz to be detained, but Paraguayan law states that defendants over the age of 70 should not be incarcerated pending trial.
"He is under house arrest," said district police commissioner Clemente Espinola in quotes reported by The Times. "There's a patrol car outside his house."
The others named are all sports marketing or broadcast executives. They are:
-- Alejandro Burzaco, an Argentine national and controlling principal of Torneos y Competencias SA, a sports marketing business based in Argentina, and its affiliates.
-- Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis, Argentinian nationals, controlling principals of Full Play Group SA, a sports marketing business based in Argentina, and its affiliates.
-- Jose Margulies (also known as Jose Lazaro), Brazilian national, controlling principal of Valente Corp. and Somerton Ltd., broadcasting businesses.
The red notices are used by the international police organisation Interpol to inform its member countries that an arrest warrant has been issued for a wanted person with a view to extradition.