CFU associations given 48 hours to come clean

By Andrew Warshaw

July 26 – FIFA have given 25 Caribbean associations 48 hours to explain their role in the bribery scandal which led to Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam being banned for life.

The associations have been warned that “truthful and complete” reporting of the events is necessary with anyone not coming forward facing “the full range of sanctions”.

insideworldfootball reported yesterday that as many as 15 representatives of Caribbean countries could face investigation – 11 who attended the meeting where the illicit payments were offered but denied it ever took place, along with four other countries alleged to have failed to respond to a request to be interviewed by the investigations team.

Towards the end of Saturday’s (July 23) hastily arranged press conference following the Ethics Committee hearing into Bin Hammam, Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb revealed that “in the light of evidence disclosed” the Committee would request a further probe “into the conduct of others” who attended the infamous May 10-11 meeting in Trinidad where the bribes were allegedly offered.

FIFA have now immediately acted on that by asking everyone who attended the infamous meeting, at which $40,000 (£24,000) in bribes were allegedly paid, to come forward.

“FIFA has sent a letter yesterday 25 July to all CFU associations, asking the associations, their presidents, and any of their members with knowledge of anything that transpired during the meetings held on 10 and 11 May in Trinidad and Tobago, to provide and report all relevant information in their possession within 48 hours,” a statement said.

“Truthful and complete reporting will be considered in mitigation by the ethics committee when deciding on potential sanctions.

“Any person who has relevant information but does not come forward during this 48-hour period will be subject to the full range of sanctions.

“Following this 48-hour period, the ethics committee will be asked to open the necessary ethics proceedings.”

All of the 25 associations from the CFU bar Cuba attended the meeting on May 10 and 11, where Bin Hammam was speaking about his campaign to be FIFA president.

Officials from nine associations told investigators last month they were given or offered cash gifts.

The other 15 either denied the meeting took place or refused to meet investigators.

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1732681689labto1732681689ofdlr1732681689owedi1732681689sni@w1732681689ahsra1732681689w.wer1732681689dna1732681689