Soccer official Takkas extradited to face US bribery charges

ZURICH (AP) - A former aide to the CONCACAF president has been extradited from Switzerland to face bribery charges in the United States in the FIFA case.

The Swiss justice ministry said in a statement that Costas Takkas, the former secretary general of the Cayman Islands Football Association, was flown from Zurich to New York on Tuesday accompanied by U.S. police officers.

Takkas, a British citizen, was among seven soccer officials arrested in May in a dawn raid at a Zurich hotel, two days before the FIFA presidential election.

He is accused of demanding and accepting bribes of millions of dollars for then-CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb linked to the sale of marketing rights for World Cup qualifiers.

Webb, who led soccer's ruling body for North and Central America and the Caribbean, is awaiting sentencing in the United States.

Former Nicaraguan federation president Julio Rocha is the only one of the seven officials arrested last May to still be in Swiss custody. His extradition is due to go ahead soon unless he lodges an appeal.