Jack Warner Hits Back At FIFA After Suspension

Jack Warner, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice-president, was provisionally suspended from FIFA on Sunday, but he did not take his punishment quietly. The FIFA ethics committee conducted a hearing regarding allegations that Warner, Mohamed bin Hammam, Asian Football Confederation president and FIFA vice-president, and two members of the Caribbean Football Union were involved in offering bribes. While the ethics committee did not come to a definite conclusion, they found enough information that they saw fit to ban all four from all football-related activity pending further investigation.

Warner, never shy or lacking confidence, hit back at FIFA. The man from Trinidad and Tobago was upset that he was not given a list of the allegations before the hearing, that he found out about the suspension through the media and, of course, that he was suspended at all, claiming that he did nothing wrong.

“I have learned this evening via the media that I have been provisionally suspended by the FIFA Ethics Committee. This has come both as a shock and surprise to me,” a statement from Warner read.

”...I also indicated that at the Miami CONCACAF Congress on May 3rd, Mr. Blatter made a gift of one million USD to CONCACAF to spend as it deems fit. This annoyed President Michel Platini who was present and he approached Secretary General Jerome Valcke complaining that Mr Blatter had no permission from the Finance Committee to make this gift to which Jerome replied that he will find the money for Mr Blatter.

”I also indicated at the CFU meeting held in Trinidad on May 10 which was requested by Mr. Bin Hammam, FIFA through Mr. Blatter organised gifts of laptops and projectors to all members of the Caribbean and no objections have been made today of this to date. In my statement I attached letters from thirteen Federations whose members attended the CFU Meeting where the allegations of gifts were made.

”These statements from the 13 members denied the allegations that have been made against me and any participation of these individuals in the act complained of. While with regard to the allegation of payment only one statement was submitted by Collins & Collins.