Warner claims he has written evidence to prove TV rights were given to him by FIFA for votes

By Duncan Mackay

January 13 – FIFA tonight found itself at the centre of more astonishing allegations from former vice-president Jack Warner over the decision to award him World Cup television rights for as little as $1 (£0.65/€0.77), including the Trinidadian claiming he had written evidence that they were given to him in return for votes for Sepp Blatter in his election campaigns.

Warner, forced to resign last year from FIFA and his role as chairman of CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) because of his alleged involvement in the cash-for-vote scandals, made the allegations after it emerged that the world governing body had ended his son Daryll’s job as a Caribbean development officer.

FIFA said in a statement to Associated Press that Daryll Warner was not on its staff but did not elaborate, citing “employment confidentiality”.

That news was swiftly followed by a press release from Warner, headlined “FIFA WC Rights II”.

“I have agonised over the past few weeks concerning whether I should respond to the FIFA’s denial to my accusations under the caption: ‘FIFA reaction to statement made by Jack Warner on 28 December 2011,'” he said.

FIFA had last week hit back at Warner’s claims that he had been awarded the television rights through a Mexican company in return for helping Sepp Blatter win and retain the Presidency.

They had accused Warner of “several inaccuracies and falsehoods”.

They claimed that it was normal practice at the time for them to be provided for only a symbolic fee.

Warner writes: “I lamented over the repercussions that my response may evoke since it is not my intention to bring the FIFA into disrepute but rather to bring to light the inundating nature of the field of play which FIFA provides where one group seems to be privileged and another punished for behaving in the same manner as the privileged group without sanction.

“The FIFA’s decision therefore, to selectively respond to the accusations I have made against it and its President is both disingenuous and dishonest.

“To determine that it will respond to only one of the four allegations leveled against it is indicative of the kind of fraud and deceit, which has plagued and continues to plague the FIFA and define the Presidency of Sepp Blatter.

“Further, to choose to respond only to the allegation that the FIFA sold to me the FIFA World Cup Rights for Trinidad and Tobago for one dollar ($1.00) USD in 1998 and refuse to even comment on the other accusations that the FIFA World Cup Rights for 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 were also sold to me at a nominal fee is nothing more than deception.

“All of these were given to me based on the critical roles I played in guaranteeing the FIFA Presidency to Sepp Blatter.

“This is especially evident when the FIFA fails to respond to the other accusation that it offered to me again the sale of the FIFA World Cup Rights for 2018 and 2022 ‘as a gift’ at a nominal fee in exchange for my support and by extension the support of the CFU and the CONCACAF) in the FIFA presidential election.”

Warner, now the Minister of Works and Infrastructure in Trinidad and Tobago, claimed his statement was partly motivated by clearing the names of those that he believes FIFA have blackened.

“What is sad is that the FIFA in its failed attempt at presenting the truth brought into disrepute the stewardship of the then FIFA Vice President Guillermo Cañedo by implying that the selling of the FIFA World Cup Rights for a nominal fee was a manifestation only during this Vice Presidency but came to an end with the ascendancy of President Blatter in 1998,” he writes.

“But the truth as contained in the FIFA contracts, which were given to me, is a clear deconstruction of the lies, which they have presented.

“Firstly, it was impossible for me to be awarded FIFA World Cup Rights in 1986 when the FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico. For that World Cup, no rights were given to me having only been recently elected to the FIFA.

“Secondly, the first rights given to me were in 1990, for which I paid a fee of $250,000.00USD. For an institution which prides itself on fair play, this selective amnesia clearly is yet another blotch on its tainted character.

“I would also like the FIFA to publicly deny the promise of the gift to me of the FIFA World Cup Rights for 2018 and 2022 at a nominal fee in exchange for my support (and by extension the support of the CFU and the CONCACAF) in the FIFA 2011 presidential election.

“The FIFA must be aware of the fact that I still have in my possession the contracts which were given to me, as well as personal notes which were handwritten and signed that will corroborate my accusations, and as such should be honest in its reporting to the international community.

“What is evident is that for the critical roles I played in securing Blatter’s presidency, I was rewarded with FIFA World Cup Rights at a nominal fee for FIFA World Cups. FIFA however damns itself for withdrawing the said FIFA World Cup Rights for 2018 and 2022 after it was alleged that I refused to support the presidency of Mr. Blatter. These actions can stand alone as demonstrative of the fact that there has been a relationship between the roles I played in the success of Blatter’s presidential campaigns and the award of FIFA World Cup Rights to me.Thankfully, the proceeds of the sale of these rights were always used for regional development. It was never for personal enrichment.

“Even as late as 20 December 2011, the FIFA and its President invited thirty Caribbean Football Union Presidents to FIFA to discuss a FIFA Agenda as it related to Caribbean football. By 21 December 2011, when it was realized that this body did not have the constitutional power to make decisions for Caribbean football, the FIFA converted the meeting of Caribbean Football Presidents into a General Congress of the CFU.

“Decisions made were handed to these Presidents and a new CFU Constitution re-written by the FIFA was given for them to accept on the promise that if approved the FIFA will build a CFU Headquarters in the Caribbean for the Caribbean Football Union. Let Mr Blatter deny that he did not offer this inducement (bribe?) to the Caribbean Football leaders.

“The hosting of this meeting of itself represented a hostile takeover of the CFU and an abuse to its constitution since the FIFA possessed neither the jurisdiction nor the power to convene such. Furthermore, the former General Secretary of the CFU, Angenie Kanhai who resigned, was part of the CFU Presidents’ Meeting. This is crass immorality. Let’s all await to see her new employer.

“It is rather passing strange that as of now the CFU, as a region, has the largest number of Presidents ever appointed to FIFA Committees. The question one must ask is – what was the nominal fee for such appointments? The appointments of themselves are scandalous and raise questions of ‘gift giving’ which clearly is still the modus operandi which existed and still exists at the FIFA.

“I wish to remind the FIFA and President Blatter that I am aware that Mr. Blatter has sought to demonize all his friends when they no longer became useful to him, from Dr João Havelange, the Father of FIFA; to Mohamed Bin Hammam, the saviour of Blatter. I will not allow Blatter or the FIFA to do the same to me.

“However I will speak more about this and other matters related to the FIFA upon the completion of Mr Bin Hammam’s legal challenges to the FIFA.”

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734855706labto1734855706ofdlr1734855706owedi1734855706sni@y1734855706akcam1734855706.nacn1734855706ud1734855706