SOCCER’S GOVERNING BODY FIFA had “compelling” evidence that Mohamed bin Hammam and Jack Warner had conspired to bribe voters in its presidential election, before it suspended the pair, according to a leaked copy of an ethics investigation.
FIFA’s ethics committee said allegations that bin Hammam, who had opposed Sepp Blatter in the presidential election before withdrawing days before the vote, had offered $40,000 cash payments to Caribbean officials “constitute prima facie an act of bribery.”
A report into Caribbean chief Warner’s case, seen by The Associated Press, said the former FIFA vice-president was an accessory to bribery who offered “mere self-serving declarations” at a hearing last month.
The 17-page document was sent last week to Warner, a 28-year veteran of FIFA’s ruling executive committee who led the North, Central American and Caribbean regional body since 1990.
Days later, the Trinidad and Tobago government minister quit his soccer positions while insisting that he would have been “fully exonerated by any objective arbiter.”
The damning language in the ethics panel’s report stands out in contrast to FIFA’s official stance on Warner’s investigation, which was dropped on Monday.
FIFA said it no longer had legal authority to pursue Warner and that he kept “the presumption of innocence.” FIFA declined to comment on the leaked report, which was first revealed by PA.
‘Pathologically mendacious’
Warner issued a statement claiming the document was circulated by “pathologically mendacious” people within FIFA who would “stop at no length to destroy my legacy.”
“Let me once again reiterate for the sake of those with hidden agendas; I, Jack Warner, did not partake in the distribution of any cash gifts to my members,” the former Caribbean Football Union leader said.
Calls to Warner’s lawyer in Trinidad, Om Lalla, were not answered.
Bin Hammam and Warner were summoned to appear before FIFA’s ethics committee on May 29, and provisionally suspended based on a dossier of evidence relating to the Qatari candidate’s campaign visit to meet CFU members at a hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Hours before the hearing, bin Hammam withdrew from the election scheduled for four days later against FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
“It appears rather compelling to consider that the actions of Mr bin Hammam constitute prima facie an act of bribery, or at least an attempt to commit bribery,” the report said.
The panel found “comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming evidence” that Warner arranged the meeting specifically to enable corruption. It was “impossible” to think Warner was unaware of the payments and their intention to influence how CFU members voted.
“Consequently, the accused (Warner) would at least be considered as an accessory to the aforementioned violations,” the report said.
AP
