Exclusive: Warner feared for political career in Trinidad if FIFA had found him guilty

By Andrew Warshaw

June 21 – Jack Warner resigned from FIFA for fear of being banned for life and having his political career wrecked in the process, according to reliable sources close to world football’s biggest ever bribery scandal.

As the former FIFA vice-president continued to maintain his innocence, highly placed sources have also told insideworldfootball that under Swiss law, the charges against Warner had to be dropped once he no longer had any involvement in footballing matters.

Twenty-four hours after Warner threw in the towel with the net closing in around him, it emerged that he would not have been able to maintain his powerful position in Caribbean politics with the case against him strengthening.

Warner, who was one of football’s most powerful administrators, is Minister of Works and Transport in Trinidad and Tobago and apparently decided as early as last Friday (June 17) to resign from FIFA after receiving the 17-page “reasoned decision” of the Ethics Committee.

He had already been suspended by the Committee, the same sanction meted out to Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed Bin Hammam with whom Warner is claimed to have colluded in offering $40,000 (£24,000) cash bungs to 25 Caribbean member nations.

“The Ethics Committee made it clear Warner was going to lose by detailing violations of the Code of Ethics,” said one informed source who has been involved in the case from the start.

“They went into every detail.

“Our understanding is that Warner actually submitted his resignation on Friday just after receiving the reasoned decision.

“Warner knew there would have been a very clear and concise guilty verdict at the end of the process.

“That would have caused him to be thrown out of Government.”

As the worst bribes-for-votes crisis in FIFA’s history intensified, Warner, who will now be replaced as President of CONCACAF, said he would be prepared to die rather than meet with former FBI Director Louis Freeh, the man charged by the Ethics Committee with leading the full investigation.

Warner said he would be willing to help FIFA but would not speak to Freeh because of his ties to the United States from where Chuck Blazer (pictured above right with Warner and Blatter), the CONCACAF general secretary who blew the whistle on Warner, also hails.

Blazer had asked Chicago-based lawyer John Collins, also from the US, to compile the initial report detailing the allegations against Bin Hammam and Warner.

“I will die first,” Warner told Bloomberg.

“If FIFA wants me to cooperate I will do that but not with Freeh.”

Warner quit saying he had felt undermined by officials within FIFA, not least Blazer with whom he has not spoken for over a month.

He claimed he had been “hung out to dry” following the infamous meeting he had organised for bin Hammam in Trinidad on May 10-11, ostensibly so that the Qatari could lobby for votes against Sepp Blatter for FIFA President.

But that was not the version given to insideworldfootball.

“The Ethics Committee clearly knew the Trinidad meeting was a set-up,” said the afore-mentioned source.

With the bribery case against him still ongoing, Bin Hammam is understood to be digging in his heels rather than follow in footsteps of his alleged partner in crime even though FIFA dropped all charges against Warner, a move that came as a surprise to the organisation’s inner sanctum.

FIFA imposed a virtual news blackout following their initial statement but one high-ranking administrator told insideworldfootball: “Apparently under Swiss law, technically FIFA no longer have jurisdiction in terms of disciplining Warner.

“That may be true but the case against him should have been concluded.

“To turn around and say they can’t do it just because Warner is not a member any more is not in the interests of FIFA or the public.

“Maybe Warner giving evidence against Bin Hammam was part of the deal.”

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