PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT IN U.S. FOR CORRUPT FIFA LEADER JEFFREY WEBB DENIES JUSTICE IN HIS TWO CAYMAN ISLANDS CASES

Senior FIFA leader JEFFREY WEBB, almost nine years after he was arrested in football's massive bribery & kickback scandal, has had his August sentencing postponed for yet another six months. Webb, who has lived under house arrest since he led guilty several years ago, continued to live a life of opulence, instead of serving a prison sentence, for racketeering, fraud and money laundering, like several other FIFA defendants. Fourteen times, his sentencing date has been cancelled and rescheduled, which surely must be some sort of record for an inordinate delay in meting out justice to one of the principal bad actors in one of history's biggest sports scandals. what's wrong with this picture? 

A known cooperator, who rendered what is known as Substantial Assistance to the US Department of Justice in the prosecution of other FIFA defendants, cannot at this late date still be rendering testimony and evidence at this late date, so why has he receive such extraordinary preferential treatment?  Rumours about his ultimate fate have him receiving a sentence of Time Served for his extensive cooperation, which means no prison time whatsoever, which would be a travesty of justice, and not serve as a deterrent for others tempted to engage in similar conduct in the marketplace.

The real injustice, however, is that fact that he faces two significant pending criminal cases in the Cayman Islands, and this extensive delay in resolving his US case has resulted in no extradition to Grand Cayman. meanwhile, his co-defendants in those cases have long ago gone to trial and are serving sentences for their misconduct, but Webb has not only evaded accountability there to date, but there are real fears that the US will not extradite him after sentencing. He must have a guardian angel somewhere in the Department of Justice.

While the cooperation of major players in significant Federal cases is often the order of business, and often results in not only additional indictments, but in guilty pleas, as new defendants fear long sentences in they chose to go to trial, given probable testimony against them, giving out extremely favourable results to cooperators, when they deserve far more serious sentences, sends the wrong message. The public rarely sees defendants receive short sentences, or in this case probably none at all, long after the publicity of their convictions. This happens very quietly, and oversight appears to be non-existent. Other cases, such as the unusually large sentence reduction handed out to Swiss banker MATTHIAS KRULL, who cooperated against several Venezuelan co-defendants, demonstrate a DOJ policy that essentially gives some defendants a pass, which many observers find improper. Krull also was allowed to stay out of prison for years.

 Whether Jeffrey Webb will ultimately escape accountability for his two Cayman Islands cases remains an open question, as is the distinct possibility that he will skate on his US case. Unfortunately, we will no have to wait until March 2024 to learn about his fate.