Warner hires English QC to dispute financial wrongdoing allegations

By Andrew Warshaw

February 17 – Former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner (pictured) is taking legal action over what he claims is “completely unacceptable defamation and libel” reporting over his alleged wrongdoing in the Haiti earthquake fund dispute.

Warner has hired London-based English QC William McCormick to fight his case against allegations that he was personally responsible for monies allocated to the fund, but which never arrived in the Caribbean island, devastated by the 2010 disaster.

The allegations were allegedly retweeted by Lasana Liburd, a reporter and publisher of Wired868.com.

“The message [posted by Liburd] was re-tweeted by numbers of equally deranged and malicious persons who never checked Liburd’s claim for its veracity, nor did they research independently whether there was any truth whatsoever in the nasty allegation,” said Warner.

In a statement responding to global coverage of the affair, Warner stated “categorically that not only did I never misappropriate aid money destined for Haiti, but have personally made additional funds available to the 30 plus victims and their families who were buried under the collapsed Haitian Football Association building.

“I am thoroughly disgusted by the level of malice and nastiness some persons resort to and have decided that I can no longer tolerate the continued lies and wrongful allegations permanently levied against me by people who consider themselves to be above the law.”

McCormick, who works for Ely Place Chambers, is also currently representing the former managing director of Bernard Madoff’s UK company against claims arising out of the collapse of that notorious “Ponzi” scheme.

Warner has been plagued by controversy since resigning from all footballing activities rather than face a FIFA Ethics Committee probe into claims that he facilitated the Trinidad hotel meeting at which cash was offered to Caribbean members in exchange for voting for Mohamed Bin Hammam (pictured) against Sepp Blatter in last year’s FIFA Presidential election.

Warner is currently embroiled in a 2006 World Cup bonuses dispute with players from his own country, but has long insisted there is smear campaign against him.

“I am appalled that persons whom I have known to be quality journalists in the past, are now jumping on the ‘destroy Warner’ bandwagon and thoughtlessly, if not senselessly, take any lie for granted that they come across these days and which further maligns and defames me,” his statement said.

Warner’s remarks are signed under his title of ‘Former FIFA Vice-President/Former President CONCACAF’, but tellingly, he makes no mention of the fact that he has also been implicated in the Haiti dispute by his own national federation.

Earlier this week, The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) publicly stated that funds donated for the Haiti earthquake fund, but which never arrived, were paid into a bank account controlled by Warner.

The TTFF, to which Warner used to be a special adviser, confirmed that $750,000 (£475,000/€572,000) of emergency aid money has gone missing since it was donated two years ago.

The TTFF said they “surrendered their authority” to Warner.

“The current executive is unaware of how these funds were disbursed or utilised and is awaiting the promised audited accounts from Mr Warner,” the Federation said.

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1732681716labto1732681716ofdlr1732681716owedi1732681716sni@w1732681716ahsra1732681716w.wer1732681716dna1732681716