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Argentine duo implicated in FIFA probe under house arrest

Two Argentine businessmen arrested last week in a probe of alleged FIFA corruption are under house arrest pending a decision on their extradition to the United States, according to Agence France-Presse.

The men were among 14 football and business officials indicted by the U.S. Justice Department in a sweeping investigation into alleged bribery, racketeering and money-laundering.

The Jinkis are owners of the Full Play, a sports marketing and broadcasting company. According to U.S. authorities, the company paid millions of dollars in bribes to secure rights to several games during four Copa America tournaments, which feature national teams from South America.

Judge Claudio Bonadio rejected their request to be released and granted them house arrest only with bail payments of four million pesos ($440,000) for Hugo Jinkis and eight million pesos for Mariano.

The men were also charged by Argentine authorities with tax evasion related to the FIFA charges, and warrants were issued for their arrest in late May.

The duo turned themselves in to authorities in Buenos Aires last Thursday, AFP reported.

An Argentine-Italian businessman indicted in the case, Alejandro Burzaco, turned himself in two days earlier in Italy and is also under house arrest outside Milan.

All three executives are accused of bribing top football officials to win the rights to lucrative broadcast deals.

Fourteen people -- nine football officials and five sports-marketing executives -- are named in the U.S. Justice Department indictment and face charges of wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.