Warner "an accessory to corruption" concludes FIFA Ethics Committee report

By Andrew Warshaw

June 22 – Damning evidence emerged today that Jack Warner resigned as FIFA’s most senior vice-president·because he was about to be found guilty for his role in the biggest ever bribery scandal to hit football’s world governing body – and that Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam was equally culpable.

Following yesterday’s report by insideworldfootball that Warner knew he could have been banned for life after receiving a 17-page analysis from FIFA’s Ethics Committee, leaked details of their analysis confirmed Warner was “an accessory to corruption” and that there was·”comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming” evidence that Bin Hammam tried to buy votes during his Presidential campaign.

FIFA announced on Monday (June 20) that Warner, who had been suspended with Bin Hammam pending a full inquiry, had resigned from all football activities and that as a result they had dropped the investigation against him and that “the presumption of innocence is maintained”.

But serious questions will now be raised over FIFA’s·alarming attempt to·preserve Warner’s reputation·following the revelations that there was “prima facie” evidence that bribes had been paid to Caribbean officials to support bin Hammam’s campaign – and that it was Warner who set up a meeting to facilitate it.

Significantly, Bin Hammam withdrew as a candidate against Sepp Blatter on the very·morning of his Ethics Committee hearing on May 29 that suspended both him and Warner.

Now,·the Ethics Committee has concluded that there was “compelling” evidence that bin Hammam and Warner together arranged·the infamous·special meeting of 25 members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) on May 10 and 11 in Trinidad where cash gifts were handed over – strictly forbidden under FIFA rules.

The report, received and published in part by Press Association, states that “credible” witnesses had claimed they were handed brown envelopes each containing $40,000 (£24,000).

Warner’s evidence to the May 29 hearing is described as “mere self-serving declarations” and that he “failed to provide the FIFA Ethics Committee with a plausible explanation”.

The report states: “The comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming evidence permits to conclude prima facie that the accused [Warner] has initiated and arranged a special meeting of the CFU member associations for Mr Bin Hammam.

“Furthermore on the occasion of this meeting it seems Mr Bin Hammam offered, at least indirectly and under the pledge of secrecy, to each of the member associations an envelope containing $40,000.

“The FIFA Ethics Committee is of the primary opinion that the accused [Warner] had knowledge of the respective payments and condoned them.

“It seems quite likely that the accused [Warner] contributed himself to the relevant actions, thereby acting as an accessory to corruption.

“The Committee is also of the opinion that the respective money gifts can probably only be explained if they are associated with the FIFA Presidential elections of 1 June 2011.

“Therefore it appears rather compelling to consider the actions of Mr Bin Hammam constitute prima facie an act of bribery, or at least an attempt to commit bribery.

“It appears prima facie impossible, in the opinion of the FIFA Ethics Committee, that the accused [Warner] could have considered the money distributed…as legally or ethically proper and without any connection to the upcoming FIFA presidential election.

“Consequently, the accused would at least be considered as an accessory to the aforementioned violations.”

The Ethics Committee report goes on to say that the facts “eventually lead to the primary conclusion that Mr Bin Hammam appears to have intended to influence the voting behaviour of the CFU member associations on the occasion of the FIFA Presidential elections in his favour.”

With the Ethics Committee due to hold its conclusive hearing into the case sometime next month, there is now huge pressure on Bin Hammam, President of the Asian Football Confederation, to follow Warner’s lead and resign or else find himself kicked out of FIFA.

But he was still·attempting to hold to power this evening.

In a brief statement, the 62-year-old Qatari said:·”There is nothing I can say more than I deny the allegations and insist that I have not done anything wrong during the special Congress at Trinidad.”

Significantly, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke is due to attend the inaugural Inside World Football Forum in Moscow on Friday (June 24) and is bound to be pressed on the culpability of both Bin Hammam and Warner – and especially why the case against Warner has been closed.

Although under Swiss law FIFA technically no longer had jurisdiction·once Warner resigned his membership, questions remain as to why FIFA so readily accepted his resignation with the investigation still ongoing.

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1732674330labto1732674330ofdlr1732674330owedi1732674330sni@w1732674330ahsra1732674330w.wer1732674330dna1732674330