In the wake of Jack Warner’s resignation from international football, officials of Caribbean Football Union member associations may be experiencing emotions of relief or nervousness.
Those optimistic officials who believe that FIFA’s reaction to the resignation will mean the end to FIFA’s Ethics Committee investigation into the serious allegations of bribery that have commanded the sports headlines for almost a month now, will no doubt be relieved at the prospect of the public never finding out who accepted the bundles of cash alleged to have been doled out as “gifts” from Bin Hammam, through the CFU.
That feeling of relief could very well be short lived, however, since according to information provided by FIFA, the investigation continues, albeit with Warner in the role of witness and not accused. Recent reports quote Mr. Warner as saying that he would rather “die first” before helping former FBI director Louis Freeh investigate claims of bribery within FIFA!
And as for Bin Hammam, he has vowed not to resign from his position as FIFA Vice-president, and according to FIFA, the Asia Volleyball Confederation President and FIFA Vice-President has filed an appeal against the provisional ban imposed on him – which appeal will be heard by the FIFA Appeals Committee “in due course.”
But the officials who accepted the cash “gifts” and have not admitted that they did – to the public or to their members, and who are uncertain about the eventual outcome of the investigation, would be understandably nervous. They may eventually have to reveal the whereabouts of the cash. They may also have to disclose whether large sums in US$100 notes were declared to Customs upon their return to their respective countries.
Furthermore, they may be uncertain about their future in football, since according to a statement issued by FIFA in response to the following question submitted by the BBC:
“Could you also confirm whether any of the CFU countries could still face disciplinary action as a result of the FIFA ethics committee inquiry or whether that inquiry was just connected to the four people who were named as being under investigation?”
FIFA’s response: “Please note that the current investigation launched by the FIFA ethics committee is still ongoing. Should any violation of the FIFA code of ethics be established appropriate decisions would then be taken.”
There may be a number of officials praying that the register with their signatures, allegedly kept by Warner associates Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester upon disbursement of the “gifts”, is not submitted as evidence to the Ethics Committee investigators. These two CFU officials have also been banned by FIFA and are expected to be interviewed by the Freeh group, along with other CFU officials – including the DFA officials who represented Dominica at that fateful May 10 – 11 meeting in Trinidad.
Some of those CFU officials who came to Warner’s defense by submitting affidavits to FIFA supporting Warner’s claim that “he did nothing wrong”, may fell betrayed by their former boss; since by his abrupt resignation, he has left observers to speculate that he had ulterior motives for not wanting the investigation into his role in the alleged bribery to continue. It has been reported that Mr. Warner’s resignation was sent to FIFA on June 17th, three days after he had received the interim Ethics Committee findings in a damaging 17- page document!
Closer to home, DFA president Patrick John has revealed his ambition to succeed Warner. He will first have to convince the Dominica football fraternity that he is not tainted by the developing scandal when the body meets on Saturday to elect a new executive. He has been in the media spotlight lately, handing out certificates, trophies, awards and cheques; and claiming that he was not offered any “gifts’ at the CFU meeting in Trinidad, since he had made it known from the outset that he was a “Blatter supporter”!
However, Mr. John has not yet explained why, after having stated in March that Dominica was nominating Blatter for the FIFA presidency, upon his return from the Trinidad meeting with Bin Hammam, he was telling another story: that they (CFU) were taking another look at Blatter’s rival’s bid for the post.
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT GRIPPING EPISODE IN THE BRIBERY SAGA
DNO we need more ‘op-ed’ pieces like that.
Just always ensure that the writer have a little credential.
The point has been made in this peice. In recent times the DFa boss has been roaming the country making what soem say are outlandish promises. Suddenly, on the eve of the DFA’s election there is money for clubs to open accounts at local banks; there is money to dish out footballs to every club and team; there is a promise of a “constituency football league” with prize money in the amount of $50,000.00 dollars. The DFA has denied accepting any money from Bin Hamman. To the ordinary man, there are a few questions to answer. Where has all the money coming from? Who is dolling out all that money on the eve of a general elction at the DFA? These rae instructive questions and the DFA boss cannot simply say that he did not accept any money from Bin Hamman (there is no evidence to prove otherwise, but the sudden availability of money now in circulation within a tightly controlled and timely opening at the DFA begs many questions.
Well, it was about time that someone spoke out about this FIFA scandal and the potential Dominican connection. The voices for democracy, transparency, and “good governance” are so loudly silent!
I have read a previous news report by DNO on the matter and i find it incomprehensible that Warner has been let off. This decision smacks of a cover up.
Here, i am now even more interested in knowing about the part that we may have played in this sordid affair.
The more i hear, about this scandal, the more i am convinced that i need to hear about our participation in that CONCACAF meeting in T’dad.
The current DFA president may be a good guy (ah dunno). He may be a great DFA president (ah dunno). Unfortunately, history does not permit me to have much confidence in his words. I want to hear what Mr. Freeh has to say about our participation at that meeting in T’dad. (Of course, i hope that the DFA president will not tow the line of his friend Uncle Jack!)
You are so right with your comments. As soon as the report was sent to Jack Warner, he resignes immedietely. There is clear evidence that CFU Memberr received cash in exchange for votes. Envelopes of US$40,000.00 was given to all CFU members, some accepted it while some refused to accept. In the FIFA report that implicates Warner and Bin Hammam, it also states that and I quote “And the Leaders from the Caribbean territories, who are understood to have accepted the Bin Hammam cash, could be banned from football long-term when the corruption inquiry report is completed by July 20.”
Therefore, it is clear that if the DFA President is found to have received the money, he faces a long-term ban from football. Nothing said convinces me that money did not change hands.