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Offline Sando prince

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #330 on: June 02, 2015, 02:36:40 PM »

The world awaits America and England quest to seize the hosting of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup  ;)

Offline Controversial

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #331 on: June 02, 2015, 02:38:29 PM »
There are no good boys in FIFA.

There are lots of good people in FIFA, don't believe the hype.

all men are corrupt, some less than others... different degrees but all fall short...

some believe the buck stops at Blatter, but that is just the tip... there are higher individuals than Blatter, that Blatter has no weight with...

Offline E-man

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #332 on: June 02, 2015, 02:44:50 PM »
Jack make the John Oliver Show, we reach.

Anyone care to join me?

  :beermug:

Offline Controversial

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #333 on: June 02, 2015, 02:52:44 PM »
Jack make the John Oliver Show, we reach.

Anyone care to join me?

  :beermug:

what makes you think Blatter or the rest will not be replaced by something equally as bad or worse  :D

that's the whole joke in the matter.... there is no saints in this world of sinners...

Offline Controversial

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #334 on: June 02, 2015, 02:55:13 PM »
what will happen now is that FIFA will be extra careful and become a lot smarter in how they conduct business...

Offline soccerman

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #335 on: June 02, 2015, 02:56:35 PM »
Jack make the John Oliver Show, we reach.

Anyone care to join me?

  :beermug:

I"ll bring some items from the McDonald's dollar menu to go with the champagne

Offline Bakes

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #336 on: June 02, 2015, 04:00:33 PM »
Nonetheless, the complexity ... of investigation, building the case, mounting litigation etc. constitutes only a partial explanation, not a complete rendering.

The case didn't start out complex... this is what some fail to understand, and others to believe.  Once they began looking more and more began to come to light and it expanded from there.  To suggest (as some have) that the US wanted to 'get back' at FIFA for losing the bid, that's so ridiculous as to border on the naive.  The Olympics are a bigger prize in the US than the World Cup is right now, and that's not likely to change for at least a generation.  The US has lost several bids for the Olympics without going after the IOC, which arguably rivals FIFA for corruption.  In fact, the one time the US did crack down on bribery and corruption in international sport, it was in the wake of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT... when the only persons charged with criminal violations were Americans. 

So for the people complaining/commenting about misplaced priorities or "unbalanced" application of the law... there is strong precedence for the DOJ's prosecution of this.  People love to complain how white collar crimes are never prosecuted the way the crimes committed by "poor people" are prosecuted... yet when they do go after them, people start complaining "well, why don't they go after...."  Can't please some people.

Offline E-man

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #337 on: June 02, 2015, 04:01:32 PM »
what will happen now is that FIFA will be extra careful and become a lot smarter in how they conduct business...

FIFA needs constitutional reform no doubt to keep things from reverting back to the same nonsense at some point.

Offline E-man

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #338 on: June 02, 2015, 04:04:00 PM »

  The Olympics are a bigger prize in the US than the World Cup is right now, and that's not likely to change for at least a generation.  The US has lost several bids for the Olympics without going after the IOC, which arguably rivals FIFA for corruption.  In fact, the one time the US did crack down on bribery and corruption in international sport, it was in the wake of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT... when the only persons charged with criminal violations were Americans. 


speaking of ... I don't suppose Sepp is giving up his IOC position as well?

Offline Bakes

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #339 on: June 02, 2015, 04:40:11 PM »
speaking of ... I don't suppose Sepp is giving up his IOC position as well?


I don't think he'll have a choice... especially after what's about to be revealed by the DOJ tomorrow ;)

Offline Sando prince

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #340 on: June 02, 2015, 05:35:04 PM »

It will be interesting now to see how the Europeans abandon Prince Ali ,now that they don't need him to oust Blatter.  ;)

Offline Socapro

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Shocker: Blatter steps down as FIFA President
« Reply #341 on: June 02, 2015, 05:50:39 PM »
The headlines about Blatter are a bit misleading because he still remains as FIFA President until the next elections are held to elect the new FIFA President. Elections will not be held until some where between December 2015 and March 2016 so Sepp will still be FIFA President when Kamla and her gang of theives are long gone. Hopefully some of the Pee Pee gang will be behind bars by the time Sepp Blatter is truly gone.

Shocker: Blatter steps down as FIFA President
By Susan Mohammed (T&T Express)
Published on Jun 2, 2015, 1:18 pm AST


FIFA President Sepp Blatter speaks during a press conference at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Tuesday, June 2, 2015. FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he will resign from his position amid corruption scandal. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)


A pyramid chart which shows former members of FIFA who are under investigations, at centre, second row, is Former Vice President of FIFA Jack Warner. Top of the chart is Sepp Blatter who will resign from his position of President of FIFA, amid corruption scandal.

ZURICH: SEPP Blatter has resigned as FIFA president, five days after his re-election and a week after the arrests of the association's top executives including former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner.

Blatter said that he will have an extraordinary congress to be called to announce his successor as soon as possible.

A new election will likely be held in December.

Blatter has been president since 1998 and has been elected for five consecutive terms.

At a press conference at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich which began at around 12.30 p.m. Blatter began his seven minute speech by saying : " I have thoroughly considered my presidency and the last 40 years in my life. These years were closely related to FIFA and this wonderful sport of football".

He said: "I will organise extraordinary congress for a replacement for me as president,” said Blatter. “I will not stand. I am now free from the constraints of an election. I will be in a position to focus on profound reforms. For many years we have called for reforms. But these are not sufficient."

Blatter also said: "We need a limitation on mandates and terms of office. I have fought for these changes but my efforts have been counteracted”.

Blatter had told Swiss TV on Friday: “Why would I step down? That would mean I recognise that I did wrong.”

Two days before, the world woke up to the news that nine of FIFA executives, including Warner, had been arrested by US law enforcement.

Warner appeared in a Port of Spain Magistrates Court on Wednesday on 12 charges which include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

Warner, 72, was granted a total of $2.5 million bail on all charges, and but spent a night in prison as his bail documents were not immediately in order.

Click link to view video of Press Conference that took place today (go to bottom of page): http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150602/news/shocker-blatter-steps-down-as-fifa-president
« Last Edit: June 02, 2015, 06:04:44 PM by Socapro »
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline dervaig

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #342 on: June 02, 2015, 06:00:19 PM »
The draw for the 2018 WC takes place in Russia next month, July.
Russia will keep the 2018 WC, but 2022 will be re-visited.
The timing of the next election/extraordinary meeting to
elect a new FIFA Pres will be past the date for which Russia
2018 could be tabled for review/re-consideration.

If FIFA is being serious about being transparent and be 'ethically
inclined', they will first of all release the Garcia report to the
public, give serious thought to revamping the constitution placing
term limits on the President, on down, and stick to the one
edict Mr. Teflon passed, rotate WC's between the continent's.

Offline AB.Trini

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #343 on: June 02, 2015, 06:45:06 PM »
In a not so shocking move- it would now appear that reflecting on Mr. Warner's  video   with the satirical paper reference, or it could have been the one where he was interviewed by a foreign journalist, he made a comment to the effect that how could the head of FIFA be ignorant of all those under  his watch  who were  allegedly corrupt and yet he Remained untarnished?

How
« Last Edit: June 02, 2015, 06:50:37 PM by AB.Trini »

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #344 on: June 02, 2015, 08:20:26 PM »

Offline Bakes

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #345 on: June 02, 2015, 10:12:33 PM »
Mandatory listening!
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/5live/5lspecials/5lspecials_20150602-2111a.mp3

Yeah some good info, mixed in with understandable speculation.  More will be revealed tomorrow with the DOJ poised to unseal Chuck Blazer's plea deal.  It will give much greater insight into the evidence the DOJ has against Blatter.  I wasn't told how much would be released however, they may play their cards close depending on what the litigation strategy will be going forward.  Blatter's attorneys have been in discussion with the the DOJ since yesterday.  I expect that will continue over the next few days as well.

Offline Socapro

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #346 on: June 02, 2015, 11:09:45 PM »
Mandatory listening!
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/5live/5lspecials/5lspecials_20150602-2111a.mp3

Yeah some good info, mixed in with understandable speculation.  More will be revealed tomorrow with the DOJ poised to unseal Chuck Blazer's plea deal.  It will give much greater insight into the evidence the DOJ has against Blatter.  I wasn't told how much would be released however, they may play their cards close depending on what the litigation strategy will be going forward.  Blatter's attorneys have been in discussion with the the DOJ since yesterday.  I expect that will continue over the next few days as well.

Blatter has promised to resign. Once a new President is elected and he is gone Blatter will be as free as a bird to enjoy his retirement.

The USA wants to get control of FIFA but Blatter and his crew will ensure in the end that one of their boys wins the next elections. This is just a game of chess that Blatter is playing.

That is my prediction.

Btw Blatter is still the President of FIFA until the next Presidential elections contrary to media reports and will remain in that position at least until December.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2015, 11:11:43 PM by Socapro »
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline Bakes

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #347 on: June 02, 2015, 11:18:51 PM »

Blatter has promised to resign. Once a new President is elected and he is gone Blatter will be as free as a bird to enjoy his retirement.

The USA wants to get control of FIFA but Blatter and his crew will ensure in the end that one of their boys wins the next elections. This is just a game of chess that Blatter is playing.

That is my prediction.

Btw Blatter is still the President of FIFA until the next Presidential elections contrary to media reports and will remain in that position at least until December.

I can't even take this shit seriously.

Offline Trini _2026

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #348 on: June 03, 2015, 01:44:59 AM »
Documents confirm $10-million payment to FIFA official
By Geoffrey York - he Globe and Mail


New documents have confirmed the explosive U.S. allegation that the South African government directed $10-million (U.S.) to bribery suspect Jack Warner, vice-president of the global soccer body FIFA, after winning the rights to the 2010 World Cup.

But nearly a week after the $10-million payment was first alleged in a U.S. indictment, even as newly leaked letters and statements confirm the transaction, the South African government still hasn’t explained the unusual payment to Mr. Warner for the “Africa diaspora” in the Caribbean.

Instead the South African sports minister has issued vague denials of any wrongdoing and complained that the allegations are a plot to tarnish the country’s reputation and perpetuate “negative stereotypes” about Africans. The minister, Fikile Mbalula, told South Africans that they should trust their “fellow countrymen” rather than “the Americans.”

A letter in 2008 from the president of the South African Football Association, Molefi Oliphant, tells FIFA that the government has decided to create a “Diaspora Legacy Programme” and that it should receive $10-million in FIFA funds that were previously intended to support South Africa’s costs in hosting the World Cup. The payment led to a $10-million reduction in FIFA’s support for the World Cup’s operational budget.

The letter, which was leaked to the British media on Tuesday, specifies twice that the “legacy programme” must be “administered and implemented directly” by Mr. Warner, who would be the “fiduciary” of the fund.

A South African newspaper had earlier asked Mr. Oliphant about the letter, but he refused to comment and asked how the newspaper had managed to obtain a copy of the letter.

A separate statement by FIFA on Tuesday confirmed the $10-million payment to Mr. Warner. It said the payment was approved in 2007 by the South African government “to support the African diaspora in Caribbean countries as part of the World Cup legacy.”

Journalists have sought to find any record of this “Diaspora Legacy Programme” but there seems to be no mention of it in any South African government announcements in 2007 or 2008. Nor has there been any explanation of how the $10-million payment would benefit the Caribbean, where incomes are generally higher than those of most South Africans.

An interview in 2011 with former president Thabo Mbeki has now surfaced, in which Mr. Mbeki says that “funds” were “made available” for Trinidad and Tobago – the home country of Mr. Warner – “to develop soccer in the Caribbean as part of the African diaspora.” He does not mention the $10-million amount or the source of the money.

According to the U.S. indictment, FIFA transferred the $10-million in three tranches to bank accounts in New York controlled by Mr. Warner in the name of the Caribbean football union and the larger regional association for North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The indictment says the $10-million payment had been corruptly and secretly promised by South African officials during their campaigning for the World Cup, which they were awarded in 2004. It says Mr. Warner and his associates soon pocketed much of the $10-million in 2008 by laundering it through other transactions.

Danny Jordaan, the head of South Africa’s bid committees and later the head of its World Cup organizing committee, confirmed the $10-million payment in an interview with a South African newspaper on Sunday, but he insisted that it wasn’t a bribe because it took place “years after” the country had won its bid in 2004.

However, the U.S. indictment says the bribe was promised by South African officials before they won the bid and the money was then paid after the decision.

The 2008 letter from South Africa authorizing the $10-million payment was addressed specifically to Jerome Valcke, the FIFA secretary general, the organization’s second-in-command behind its controversial president, Joseph “Sepp” Blatter. This is the closest that the bribery scandal has come to touching Mr. Blatter directly so far.

« Last Edit: June 03, 2015, 02:37:14 AM by Flex »
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Offline Flex

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #349 on: June 03, 2015, 02:15:27 AM »
Tim Kee felt time was right for Blatter to ‘park up’
By Ian Prescott (Express).


THE president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Raymond Tim Kee is not surprised at yesterday’s announcement of the impending resignation of Sepp Blatter as president of world football’s governing body FIFA, given that Blatter’s assistant, General Secretary Jerome Valcke, is among those implicated in a corruption scandal.

Tim Kee voted for Prince Ali of Jordan, opposing Blatter, who was re-elected FIFA president last Friday. At a TTFA media conference yesterday, Tim Kee fielded questions from local and international media. US prosecutors investigating FIFA’s alleged corruption believe Blatter’s top lieutenant made US$10m in bank transactions that are central to the bribery investigation. Tim Kee said he knew Blatter would have felt the pressure of seven of his executive being indicted by the US Justice Department and Swiss police for corrupt practises.

“What came out yesterday was a situation where his secretary general (Jerome Valcke), who is more or less his right-hand man, is being questioned as well about taking part in some transaction which was undesirable.

“Therefore, if your right-hand man and a lot of your executives are caught up in a situation where honesty and accountability are two factors which have not been observed in a practical professional way, then there is need to look at your position and, as the saying goes ‘take a side’. “I think it is an opportunity to start fresh. It is a new paradigm,” Tim Kee added.

Tim Kee also touched on Jack Warner, the former FIFA vice-president and TTFA special adviser, who has also been indicted by US authorities on charges. Tim Kee thought Warner did a lot of good for Caribbean football, but if found guilty, so be it.


The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #350 on: June 03, 2015, 04:10:13 AM »
FIFA Delegate: Indictment 'Brought A Cloud' On Upcoming Presidential Vote

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Randolph Harris, president of the Barbados Football Association, about the latest on the FIFA indictments and the soccer organization's upcoming presidential vote.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: The head of soccer's governing organization made clear today that he plans on sticking around. Sepp Blatter spoke at opening ceremony of FIFA's annual congress a day after seven of its officials were arrested on corruption charges and a day before he stands for reelection. Blatter first won the presidency in 1998. He told the FIFA congress today, he could not monitor everyone all the time.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SEPP BLATTER: But it must fall to me to bear the responsibility for the reputation and well-being of our organization and to find a way forward to fix things.

SIEGEL: Well, now we're going to hear from one of the people who will cast a vote on whether Sepp Blatter deserves another term as president of FIFA. Joining us from Zurich is the president of the Barbados Football Association, Randolph Harris. Mr. Harris, welcome to the program.

RANDOLPH HARRIS: Thank you, and thanks for having me.

SIEGEL: Tell us, first, your reaction to the U.S. indictment that was unsealed yesterday.

HARRIS: Well, obviously, I could only describe it as a devastating blow. We were shocked by the developments.

SIEGEL: You say you were shocked. There have been any number of journalistic investigations, reports of corruption within FIFA. How can one be shocked at this point?

HARRIS: We are shocked because of the persons who were arrested yesterday and because we had no inkling that they were involved in anything untoward as far as the football is concerned.

SIEGEL: Does all of that untoward behavior - does it reflect Sepp Blatter, and would you say, based on these indictments, Mr. Blatter should be thanked for his service and retired from the presidency?

HARRIS: Well, I don't know if I agree with that kind of reasoning. The thing about it is, Mr. Blatter is the head of FIFA, which is a worldwide organization. The persons who were indicted by the United States authorities yesterday are part of one confederation which Mr. Blatter does not oversee on a day-to-day basis.

SIEGEL: That's the confederation that you're a member of, representing Barbados.

HARRIS: Of course.

SIEGEL: There are big corporations that sponsor FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup, that are very concerned about what's happened. How much do the opinions of Visa or McDonald's count as you think about the future of FIFA and its leadership?

HARRIS: Those sponsors are very, very important to the game. And as you know, we have some of those sponsors operating in our small countries. And it is important to us that these sponsors think that they are doing well for the countries and that their names are being held in high esteem.

SIEGEL: Will it influence your vote on the presidency?

HARRIS: At the moment, I have not really made up my mind completely, but I am voting in the best interest of the game. My integrity is the only thing that I have going for me, and I think I'm going to vote for transparency and, of course, for development of the future.

SIEGEL: But considering that the indictment yesterday cited not only misbehavior by a little more than a dozen individuals but also a culture of corruption over the past 20 years, how can you be in favor of transparency and still be in favor of continuing the same regime of leadership at FIFA?

HARRIS: Well, I have not confirmed that I am continuing the same regime of FIFA. I will make that decision tomorrow when I have discussions with some of my member states. But the point about it is - and this is very important - that in all of this, President Blatter has not been named as an accomplice.

SIEGEL: Would you say that there are other heads of national football associations whom you've been speaking with who share your doubts at this moment and are trying to figure out what to do?

HARRIS: Yes. I believe I can say, on the record now, that when we came here on Monday, we were all going to vote on block (sic) for President Blatter. I think that was a decision that we made at the Concacaf meeting which was held two months ago in the Bahamas.

SIEGEL: Concacaf being the Western Hemisphere Football Association - Federation.

HARRIS: Yes, yes. But since the development yesterday, it has brought a cloud on to that decision that we made prior to hearing the news. That really devastated us yesterday.

SIEGEL: Well, Mr. Harris, thank you very much for talking with us as you prepare to make that decision.

HARRIS: I thank you for having me, and I'm very grateful.

SIEGEL: That's Randolph Harris who is the president of the Barbados Football Association. He'll be one of the members voting on the presidency of FIFA tomorrow in Switzerland.

http://www.npr.org/2015/05/28/410340159/fifa-delegate-indictment-brought-a-cloud-on-upcoming-presidential-vote

Audio of the interview, dated May 28, 2015
« Last Edit: June 03, 2015, 04:12:25 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline elan

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #351 on: June 03, 2015, 06:17:01 AM »



FIFA has to be the dumbest organization to be paying bribes through official channels.
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Offline Bakes

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #352 on: June 03, 2015, 06:51:45 AM »
[FIFA has to be the dumbest organization to be paying bribes through official channels.

That's a very simplistic analysis of the situation.

As for that interview with Harris, CONCACAF was never going to vote as a bloc in the elections, certainly not for Blatter.

Offline Deeks

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #353 on: June 03, 2015, 07:11:41 AM »
You guys may be right. We don't know who the CFU voted for. Some may have voted for the Jordanian?? Some or most for Blatter. Tim Kee said he threw  in his lot for the Jordanian.
« Last Edit: June 03, 2015, 07:13:14 AM by Deeks »

Offline 1-868

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #354 on: June 03, 2015, 07:16:20 AM »
6 FIFA executives have been added to Interpol's most wanted list

http://www.businessinsider.com/six-fifa-executives-added-to-interpols-most-wanted-list-2015-6

Interpol on Wednesday added six men with ties to FIFA to its most wanted list, issuing an international alert for two former FIFA officials and four executives on charges including racketeering and corruption.

Two of the men, former FIFA vice president Jack Warner of Trinidad and former executive committee member Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay, have been arrested in their home counties. Warner has since been released, and Leoz is under house arrest. The Interpol "red notice" alerts member countries that an arrest warrant has been issued for listed individuals and means they risk arrest anywhere they travel.

Others listed were Argentines Alejandro Burzaco and brothers Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, who together are accused of paying more than $100 million in bribes for media and commercial rights to soccer tournaments; and Jose Margulies, a Brazilian broadcast executive.

A statement released by Interpol said: "At the request of US authorities, Interpol Red Notices — or international wanted persons alerts — have been issued for two former FIFA officials and four corporate executives for charges including racketeering conspiracy and corruption."

The announcement from Interpol comes a day after Sepp Blatter announced he would step down as FIFA president amid the widening corruption scandal. Despite trying to distance himself from the controversy, Blatter is still being examined by US authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has also been dragged into the scandal amid reports that he transferred $10 million in 2010 World Cup vote bribe money. Both Valcke and FIFA have denied the allegations.

A special FIFA congress will elect a new president sometime between December 2015 and March 2016, FIFA said. Until then, Blatter will remain the nominal president.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/six-fifa-executives-added-to-interpols-most-wanted-list-2015-6#ixzz3c0TIFkXQ
Phenomenal, lovely atmosphere.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Changes coming to FIFA leadership strength?
« Reply #355 on: June 03, 2015, 07:29:55 AM »
Canover Watson: Fifa member asked for corruption claims explanation

Fifa wants an explanation from a member of its financial watchdog who was arrested on suspicion of corruption and money-laundering in the Cayman Islands.

Canover Watson is one of eight members of Fifa's audit and compliance committee and a vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union.

He has denied the charges and has been released on bail.

Domenico Scala is the head of the committee and said he had asked Watson for details.

The allegations against Watson concern his time as head of the Cayman's Health Service Authority.

Under his bail terms he is scheduled to report back to police on 29 September.

"Once we have more information we will consider appropriate measures," said a Fifa statement.

The audit and compliance committee is in charge of ensuring the "completeness and reliability of the financial accounting" of world soccer's governing body.

Source: The BBC

Webb and Canover Watson: Same-street mansions in Georgia
Brent Fuller (Cayman Compass)


Two top-level Cayman Islands football officials who face separate criminal investigations related to bribery and corruption charges bought houses on the same street in Loganville, Georgia, within the past five years, the Cayman Compass has learned.

One of the homes is a three-story mansion valued at US$931,000 located at 2116 Adel Drive in the small town east of Atlanta. A swimming pool was built on the property with the proceeds of bribes funneled through several international bank accounts, front companies and intermediaries, U.S. federal prosecutors have alleged.

The 9,851-square-foot home, which is listed as having six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, is owned by Cayman Islands resident Jeffrey Webb and his wife, Atlanta-area physician Kendra Gamble-Webb, according to Rockdale County, Georgia, tax records. It is one of several properties Webb owns in the state of Georgia that are now potentially subject to asset forfeiture proceedings, according to federal court indictments issued last week.

Just three houses down from the Webb home, at 2128 Adel Drive, is a US$550,000 two-story, 7,694-square-foot home on 3 acres owned by suspended FIFA audit committee member and Cayman Islands businessman Canover Watson.

Watson, who is not charged in connection with the FIFA bribery scandal that led to the indictment against Webb and others last week, is facing a criminal trial in Cayman in November related to allegations that he used his former position as a member of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Board to enrich himself through the award of two public hospital contracts.

The two contracts, one for the installation of the hospital’s CarePay patient swipe-card system in 2010 and the other for the creation of a computerized pharmaceutical tracking system in 2011, were awarded while Watson was chairman of the Health Services Authority Board. It is alleged by Crown prosecutors in Cayman that Watson had a financial interest in the local branch of the company to which the contracts were awarded, an interest that he did not disclose.

U.S. indictment

The more wide-ranging U.S. federal indictment against nine current and former FIFA officials filed in the Eastern District of New York alleges that Webb solicited bribes totaling more than US$4 million in exchange for approving deals for the marketing and media rights to FIFA matches in the CONCACAF (Central and North American and Caribbean) region to select sports marketing firms. Webb is also accused of receiving at least some of the US$40 million in bribes paid to six FIFA officials in exchange for the rights to the Copa America and Centenario 2016 football tournament.

To date, the Cayman Islands and U.S. federal investigations against Watson and Webb, respectively, have not been linked.

Details from U.S. court records 

U.S. federal court records allege that Costas Takkas, Webb’s attaché at CONCACAF who is also charged in the FIFA corruption probe, told a third party in 2012 that Webb wanted a US$3 million bribe in exchange for awarding commercial rights to certain 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifying matches to a sports marketing company called Traffic USA.

It is further alleged that the bribe was split between two companies, Traffic USA and what is referred to as “Sports Marketing Company C”, so that each would pay US$1.5 million to Webb. It is further alleged that Traffic USA’s payment was transmitted to Takkas through a Miami bank to an HSBC bank in Buffalo, New York, and eventually transferred to an HSBC bank in Hong Kong.

The indictment alleges that two wire transfers totaling US$1 million were sent from Hong Kong to a correspondent account in New York City for credit to an account in the name of Kosson Ventures – a company controlled by Takkas – at Fidelity Bank in the Cayman Islands. The court records state that the remaining US$500,000 from Traffic USA was paid into another account controlled by Takkas at Fidelity Bank in the Cayman Islands.

“Takkas subsequently transferred the funds to an account in the name of a swimming pool builder at United Community Bank in Blairsville, Georgia,” the criminal complaint reads. “[This was] for the benefit of the defendant Jeffrey Webb, who was having a pool built at his residence in Loganville, Georgia.

“Takkas transferred another portion of the funds directly from his Kosson Ventures account at Fidelity Bank in the Cayman Islands to SunTrust Bank in Georgia for Webb’s benefit in connection with Webb’s purchase of other real estate in Stone Mountain, Georgia,” court records state. Federal prosecutors state that Takkas’s participation in the funds transfer was “more intermediary” in nature and was “designed to conceal the fact that Jeffrey Webb was the beneficiary of the payment.”

Alleged money laundering 

Watson’s trial, set for November in the Cayman Islands Grand Court, will focus in part on money laundering allegations related to separate cash amounts, totaling US$30,000 and US$25,000, that his former personal assistant is accused of handling on behalf of her boss.

The charges allege that in June and July 2012, the assistant, Miriam Rodriguez, possessed “criminal property” that represented, either directly or indirectly, the benefits of criminal conduct totaling US$55,000. The allegation is that Mrs. Rodriguez, while working at local financial services company Admiral Administration, received cash in envelopes from “persons involved in AIS” and “forwarded it on to a third party without disclosing the same.”

The third party referred to, but not named, in the court records was not connected with Admiral Administration.

Watson previously served as managing director at Admiral.

Offline Sam

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #356 on: June 03, 2015, 09:04:58 AM »
I was so right about Webb, hope allyuh believe me from now on.

To buy a house for anything about 500 and 900 thousand in Atlanta have to be a big ass mansion.

It good for de f00cker.

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Offline E-man

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #357 on: June 03, 2015, 09:17:12 AM »
just had to post this again for the occasion


Offline R45

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #358 on: June 03, 2015, 10:10:59 AM »
My thoughts on this:

It was only on Friday that Sepp Blatter was voted in by 133 confederation heads. I put absolutely no credibility to a FIFA change given that the folks who control the power (voting bodies) only less than a week ago re-elected him. FIFA is made up of very corrupt national associations. We all see what happens in Trinidad. Actual development of football gets trickled in amongst millions of waste and skimming at the top. The same thing that happened with the TTFF/TTFA happens in most of Concacaf, CAF, and Asia (the three rockbeds of Blatter support for the past 2 decades). Even before Blatter, FIFA was a corrupt and self-serving organization.

The only way FIFA changes is with a complete restructuring. The needs to be controls in place to prevent corrupt banana boat organizations such as the CFU, who ends up holding 25 votes or about 12% of FIFA votes despite 0.005% of the world's population. This 1 member 1 vote thing (regardless of size) is just poised for corruption. The current structure will always attract greedy and corrupt administrators from the smaller bodies and the system won't change. I'm not suggesting Europe or North America is perfect by any means - the IOC has the same problems and let's not forget the whole Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics bid scandal courtesy of bribes from the US bid team.

That said, the current structure isn't working. T&T benefited from a disproportionate share of FIFA funds for ~30 years under Jack, but did our grassroots football really develop during that time? How much of the success of the strike squad or the 2006 qualification really due to proceeds from FIFA funding and the benefits of Jack's involvement? Look at the state of our football today - it is clear that despite the millions and preferential treatment, ultimately we were still left without a organizational structure and strong developmental program that should have seen us reaping benefits from those systems today.

Ultimately FIFA is failing to effectively develop world football and the entire design of the body is doomed to fail. Unless the structure itself is drastically remodeled, I wouldn't count on much changing even without Sepp Blatter.

Offline Bakes

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Re: FIFA News Thread.
« Reply #359 on: June 03, 2015, 10:49:54 AM »
My thoughts on this:

It was only on Friday that Sepp Blatter was voted in by 133 confederation heads. I put absolutely no credibility to a FIFA change given that the folks who control the power (voting bodies) only less than a week ago re-elected him. FIFA is made up of very corrupt national associations. We all see what happens in Trinidad. Actual development of football gets trickled in amongst millions of waste and skimming at the top. The same thing that happened with the TTFF/TTFA happens in most of Concacaf, CAF, and Asia (the three rockbeds of Blatter support for the past 2 decades). Even before Blatter, FIFA was a corrupt and self-serving organization.

The only way FIFA changes is with a complete restructuring. The needs to be controls in place to prevent corrupt banana boat organizations such as the CFU, who ends up holding 25 votes or about 12% of FIFA votes despite 0.005% of the world's population. This 1 member 1 vote thing (regardless of size) is just poised for corruption. The current structure will always attract greedy and corrupt administrators from the smaller bodies and the system won't change. I'm not suggesting Europe or North America is perfect by any means - the IOC has the same problems and let's not forget the whole Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics bid scandal courtesy of bribes from the US bid team.

That said, the current structure isn't working. T&T benefited from a disproportionate share of FIFA funds for ~30 years under Jack, but did our grassroots football really develop during that time? How much of the success of the strike squad or the 2006 qualification really due to proceeds from FIFA funding and the benefits of Jack's involvement? Look at the state of our football today - it is clear that despite the millions and preferential treatment, ultimately we were still left without a organizational structure and strong developmental program that should have seen us reaping benefits from those systems today.

Ultimately FIFA is failing to effectively develop world football and the entire design of the body is doomed to fail. Unless the structure itself is drastically remodeled, I wouldn't count on much changing even without Sepp Blatter.

And by limiting the power of smaller countries in favor of the already rich European and S. American countries (the likely beneficiaries of any restructuring) how would that make things any better?  Sounds like you been drinking the same poisoned Kool Aid that so many neo-colonial elites have been foisting on the public the past few days.  Before the current system was in place the bigger nations divvied up the spoils, both in terms of WC final spots, and in terms of profits from the game.  If a less democratic system than the present one is your solution, tell us how that will benefit football.

Seccond, people love to throw around this talk of "disproportionate"... what would have bee a more 'proportionate' share of money from football?  What metric did you use to determine what is proportionate from what is disproportionate?

 

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