MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US formalizes extradition request of three Argentines allegedly involved in FIFA investigation

Even when no names were mentioned the FIFA corruption case has three Argentines involved, Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo and Mariano Jinkis.

Argentina's foreign ministry confirmed late Wednesday that United States had officially requested the extradition of three Argentine citizens allegedly involved in the US Justice Department investigation into FIFA corrupt dealings.

 The request was anticipated early in the day and was formalized late afternoon by the US Embassy in Buenos Aires in which the provisional arrest with extradition purposes of three Argentine citizens was solicited, making reference to the existing Extradition Treaty between Argentina and the United States.

The requests were then delivered to the 8th Federal Court under Magistrate Dr. Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi, approximately at 20:30 hours, as rules indicate.

It was later reported to the US embassy that the documents had been delivered and the request complied, ends the brief report from the Foreign Ministry.

Even when no names were mentioned the FIFA corruption case has three Argentines involved, Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo and Mariano Jinkis.

Alejandro Burzaco is the president of Tournaments and Competitions (TyC) who has always had a good relation with controversial and late AFA leader Julio Grondona, and thanks to which he eventually managed to control all of the Argentine football television broadcasts.

Torneos y Competencias is half-owned by the Clarín Group, and partners with the media giant in the previous management of local football rights on television.

Burzaco is also the brother of Eugenio Burzaco, the head of Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police force under mayor and PRO leader Mauricio Macri.

Hugo Jinkins is the owner of Full Play company and holds the rights of the broadcasting for most South American teams and some of The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf). He is also in charge of the South American preliminary rounds, the 2015 Chile American Cup and the Sub 17 South American to be held in Paraguay.

Mariano Jinkis, Hugo’s brother, is Full Play’s vice-president. In 2004, he managed to keep the Ecuadorian League matches transmissions after a polemic negotiation.

The three of them have positions in the FIFA Sports Marketing department and are accused of paying 150 million dollars in bribes to obtain mass media and commercialization rights for international tournaments.

However Torneos y Competencias (TyC) company denied the accusations filed by the US Justice Department concerning its involvement in corruption inside the FIFA, which have implicated CEO Burzaco as one of the guilty parties.

“With regards to the information that has emerged today, which is public knowledge, TyC denies any involvement by the company and its president in the alleged crimes,” the company insisted through a press statement released Wednesday afternoon.

TyC added that it “regrets being caught up in a case of this nature, which hurts its prestige and reputation forged over more than 30 years of hard work and professionalism.

”Torneos produces 15,000 hours a year of sports and entertainment a year across Latin America, it employs 800 people directly and another 1,500 indirectly. It is one of the most recognized production companies on the continent and that is a consequence of hard work and effort,“ the missive continues.

”Torneos repeats its complete dismissal of the links unfairly signaled and reaffirms its readiness to work with the justice system to clarify the events.”