Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: royalian on August 08, 2011, 08:12:39 PM
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FIFA Is Said to Open Corruption Cases Against Caribbean Soccer Officials
By Tariq Panja - Aug 8, 2011
bloomberg.com
Soccer’s governing body will start corruption proceedings against more than 10 Caribbean officials after a probe into allegations they took money from a candidate in its presidential election, according to two people familiar with the matter.
FIFA on July 26 gave the officials from the Caribbean Football Union 48 hours to come forward with information about a meeting where Mohamed Bin Hammam, a one-time challenger to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, allegedly offered envelopes stuffed with $40,000. Bin Hammam, the former head of soccer in Asia, is appealing the lifetime ban he was given from the sport.
Zurich-based FIFA’s ethics panel will meet today and is likely to bring the cases after more witnesses came forward to give details of the May 9 and 10 meeting at a hotel in Port-of- Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, according to one of the people with knowledge of the investigation. The pair were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
“We cannot speculate on what will happen,” FIFA said in an e-mailed statement. Ben Spencer, a spokesman for the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, didn’t respond to an e-mail or telephone messages seeking comment.
Bin Hammam became the highest-ranked soccer official to be excluded from the sport on July 23. FIFA has spent a year trying to deal with corruption allegations linked to the presidential election as well as the choice of host for the World Cup, which brings in $4 billion.
Warner Quits
One of FIFA’s vice presidents, Trinidad-based Jack Warner, quit the sport after being suspended pending the investigation into him and Bin Hammam. He arranged the Qatari’s meeting with the CFU and the duo were first suspended May 29. FIFA dropped its case against Warner, saying “the presumption of innocence is maintained,” following his withdrawal from the sport. Warner was also head of Concacaf, the regional body.
The new cases would lead to the largest mass suspension of officials in FIFA’s 107-year history. Six officials were suspended in October after allegations of vote buying linked to World Cup bidding.
The inquiry has been led by former U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation director Louis Freeh.
FIFA told the officials they would face less severe punishment should they come forward with information on the case. The Caribbean authorities may get lifetime bans if they were found to be withholding information. Some of the attendees have changed their stories about what happened, according to one of the people.
‘Zero Tolerance’
“Truthful and complete reporting will be considered in mitigation by the ethics committee when deciding on potential sanctions,” FIFA said last month. “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.”
Blatter secured a fourth four-year term unopposed after Bin Hammam, the only other candidate, withdrew. Blatter promised a “zero tolerance” approach to fighting wrongdoing upon re- election on June 1.
Cuba was the only member of the 25-strong CFU that didn’t send a delegate to the Trinidad meeting where Bin Hammam pitched for votes. Officials from nine countries told investigators they had accepted or were offered envelopes full of cash. The remaining 15 denied any knowledge of the incident or refused to take part in the probe.
“Many cases, which look very simple, are not as simple as they look and this one could be a complicated case,” Guido Tognoni, a former adviser to Blatter at FIFA, said in a telephone interview.
‘Flimsy’ Evidence
Bin Hammam, 62, said he’ll appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Swiss civil courts if FIFA doesn’t overturn his ban, which he claims is based on “flimsy” evidence. On Aug. 4, he complained about the time taken to publish the reasons behind his suspension.
“This delay is suspicious in that it gives FIFA the time to devise a justification for a decision that it was always going to make anyway,” he said on his blog. “This is also outrageous as FIFA has been quick to publicize my guilt while holding up my opportunity to appeal.”
The ethics committee will also hear a case against Lisle Austin, a Barbados official who briefly replaced Warner as head of Concacaf. He’s alleged to have broken FIFA statutes concerning taking legal action in civil courts. All disputes must be settled by governing bodies or the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, according to FIFA. Ryan Toohey, a spokesman for Austin, wasn’t immediately able to comment.
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That's like Stalin leading an investigation into the atrocities being committed by his generals. I really hope people aren't buying into these smokescreens.. jokes upon jokes.
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Smokescreen or not, this could be serious for T&T. "The Caribbean authorities may get lifetime bans if they were found to be withholding information."
Lets be honest, if we all had to bet on whether TTFF gave evidence against Jack, we'd all win. Again, Camps is in a Catch 22 situation. If he gave evidence, he would upset Jack who could cause Camps all kind of pain, and if he doesn't, T&T could be banned for life.
My question is this: They say the authorities could be banned, but thats not really fair on the nation they represent. Remember, govt can't tell TTFF what to do. TTFF is a private company. So, does it mean that all members of TTFF could be banned and a new Federation would be formed? Could be a Godsend for T&T football.
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Smokescreen or not, this could be serious for T&T. "The Caribbean authorities may get lifetime bans if they were found to be withholding information."
Lets be honest, if we all had to bet on whether TTFF gave evidence against Jack, we'd all win. Again, Camps is in a Catch 22 situation. If he gave evidence, he would upset Jack who could cause Camps all kind of pain, and if he doesn't, T&T could be banned for life.
My question is this: They say the authorities could be banned, but thats not really fair on the nation they represent. Remember, govt can't tell TTFF what to do. TTFF is a private company. So, does it mean that all members of TTFF could be banned and a new Federation would be formed? Could be a Godsend for T&T football.
The "authorities" (meaning the individuals who withheld information) could get a lifetime ban... not the Federations.
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Smokescreen or not, this could be serious for T&T. "The Caribbean authorities may get lifetime bans if they were found to be withholding information."
Lets be honest, if we all had to bet on whether TTFF gave evidence against Jack, we'd all win. Again, Camps is in a Catch 22 situation. If he gave evidence, he would upset Jack who could cause Camps all kind of pain, and if he doesn't, T&T could be banned for life.
My question is this: They say the authorities could be banned, but thats not really fair on the nation they represent. Remember, govt can't tell TTFF what to do. TTFF is a private company. So, does it mean that all members of TTFF could be banned and a new Federation would be formed? Could be a Godsend for T&T football.
The "authorities" (meaning the individuals who withheld information) could get a lifetime ban... not the Federations.
:beermug:
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Smokescreen or not, this could be serious for T&T. "The Caribbean authorities may get lifetime bans if they were found to be withholding information."
Lets be honest, if we all had to bet on whether TTFF gave evidence against Jack, we'd all win. Again, Camps is in a Catch 22 situation. If he gave evidence, he would upset Jack who could cause Camps all kind of pain, and if he doesn't, T&T could be banned for life.
My question is this: They say the authorities could be banned, but thats not really fair on the nation they represent. Remember, govt can't tell TTFF what to do. TTFF is a private company. So, does it mean that all members of TTFF could be banned and a new Federation would be formed? Could be a Godsend for T&T football.
The "authorities" (meaning the individuals who withheld information) could get a lifetime ban... not the Federations.
:beermug:
Yea, first sentence said "against more than 10 Caribbean officials", so this may be the end of Camps. I think FIFA is merely ridding all means by which JAW can still indirectly be calling de shots in Caribbean football.
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Yea, first sentence said "against more than 10 Caribbean officials", so this may be the end of Camps. I think FIFA is merely ridding all means by which JAW can still indirectly be calling de shots in Caribbean football.
Camps was among the first to cooperate though... he flew to the Bahamas to meet with Freeh and his people.
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Smokescreen or not, this could be serious for T&T. "The Caribbean authorities may get lifetime bans if they were found to be withholding information."
Lets be honest, if we all had to bet on whether TTFF gave evidence against Jack, we'd all win. Again, Camps is in a Catch 22 situation. If he gave evidence, he would upset Jack who could cause Camps all kind of pain, and if he doesn't, T&T could be banned for life.
My question is this: They say the authorities could be banned, but thats not really fair on the nation they represent. Remember, govt can't tell TTFF what to do. TTFF is a private company. So, does it mean that all members of TTFF could be banned and a new Federation would be formed? Could be a Godsend for T&T football.
This is exactly what is happening. . .
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Smokescreen or not, this could be serious for T&T. "The Caribbean authorities may get lifetime bans if they were found to be withholding information."
Lets be honest, if we all had to bet on whether TTFF gave evidence against Jack, we'd all win. Again, Camps is in a Catch 22 situation. If he gave evidence, he would upset Jack who could cause Camps all kind of pain, and if he doesn't, T&T could be banned for life.
My question is this: They say the authorities could be banned, but thats not really fair on the nation they represent. Remember, govt can't tell TTFF what to do. TTFF is a private company. So, does it mean that all members of TTFF could be banned and a new Federation would be formed? Could be a Godsend for T&T football.
This is exactly what is happening. . .
Could be yes and no. It is all about who is the king maker. FIFA/Blatter possibly resent the power that Concacaf has had as a block of votes and this is a way to shore up a political hole. It could also be a way of ensuring that the replacements are people who are "more like minded" and easier to control politically. At the end of the day "who has more corn feeds more CFU fowl."
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The greatest cause for concern iz whether or not fifa would ban the countries that these federation presidents represent. and to me FIFA would do something like that against relatively unknown federations such as ours.
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Yea, first sentence said "against more than 10 Caribbean officials", so this may be the end of Camps. I think FIFA is merely ridding all means by which JAW can still indirectly be calling de shots in Caribbean football.
Camps was among the first to cooperate though... he flew to the Bahamas to meet with Freeh and his people.
Indeed, but what did he say in evidence? If he went with the "Ah done see nuttin" approach, then he could be one of the ten.
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All Jack's soldiers being removed. This leading to a new Concacaf. One that Blatter can control, as was never the case in the past....Concacaf controlled him.
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The greatest cause for concern iz whether or not fifa would ban the countries that these federation presidents represent. and to me FIFA would do something like that against relatively unknown federations such as ours.
Yuh like to worry too much! FIFA is going after the federation leaders in CONCACAF who were controlled by and are still inclined to be loyal to Jack!
Best case scenario is that Camps will be banned for life for helping to facilitate the bribe just as Jack would have been if he did not resign before the outcome!
The TTFF won't be banned because if they ban us they will have to ban most of the other Caribbean federations who came to that meeting in May and entertained the cash gift!
FIFA is going after the leaders of the Caribbean federations who weren't being entirely honest about the cash gifts! Once those leaders are replaced and FIFA gives the appearance that they are cleaning up their act and stamping out corruption then FIFA business will carry on as usual.
Everyone here who cares about T&T football should welcome this move from FIFA with open arms as T&T football stands to benefit in the long term if Camps is forced against his will to step down!
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Watch out for TTFF colleagues of Scampito to back stab him, twisting de knife slowly inside, as files are releasd to FIFA on what went dong with Jackula, Bin Hamman and de res' of de brown envelope posse. What a time we are livin' in. Eh!
Keep watching for the eventual end of Scampito, not far in the furure.
:beermug:
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Some how I don't feel Camps accepted any envelope! If there was one it could have been kept by other officials ,so he could just be exonerated because of the figure head role he plays as President! It might just work in his favor because of this!
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Some how I don't feel Camps accepted any envelope! If there was one it could have been kept by other officials ,so he could just be exonerated because of the figure head role he plays as President! It might just work in his favor because of this!
I dunno what going on with these men who feel Camps go get banned... allyuh really feel Camps was in that bribe thing? At best he was present to see what went on. Jack wasn't passing Camps ah envelope full ah money only fuh Camps to have to turn around and give it back to him.
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Some how I don't feel Camps accepted any envelope! If there was one it could have been kept by other officials ,so he could just be exonerated because of the figure head role he plays as President! It might just work in his favor because of this!
No need 2 buy Scamps vote so no brown envelope. Jack howver, get a suitcase full ah money 2 organize d happenings in d HYATT.
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Some how I don't feel Camps accepted any envelope! If there was one it could have been kept by other officials ,so he could just be exonerated because of the figure head role he plays as President! It might just work in his favor because of this!
They may try to get Camps on the same thing that they were planning to get Jack on before he resigned, i.e. Facilitating a bribe as president of the TTFF. This charge on Camps may not stick but it might be worth a try as part of FIFA's effort to completely get rid of Jack's influence in the CFU & CONCACAF by removing his yes men.
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Yeah Camps probably eh hol' dong no brown envelope but he probably knows who did and many other secrets.
Watch de space. Dis go be interesting :beermug:
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All the pressure is brought to bear upon Camps. Only a matter of time before "fall guy" is toasted.
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I wonder If one Mr Horace Burrell is sleeping well at nights? This is a guy who has done alot for JAmaica's football, but at the same time, he is not much different from Jack Warner in many ways.
Very interesting. Whereas you guys would love to see the current TTFF go down, I beleieve in Jamaica its the opposite...I strongly feel that if Burrell is kicked out of office, JAmaica can kiss Brazil 2014 goodbye. Not that I dont have faith in our players, but now is not the time to have the Federation in limbo.
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I wonder If one Mr Horace Burrell is sleeping well at nights? This is a guy who has done alot for JAmaica's football, but at the same time, he is not much different from Jack Warner in many ways.
Very interesting. Whereas you guys would love to see the current TTFF go down, I beleieve in Jamaica its the opposite...I strongly feel that if Burrell is kicked out of office, JAmaica can kiss Brazil 2014 goodbye. Not that I dont have faith in our players, but now is not the time to have the Federation in limbo.
Well said. :beermug:
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I wonder If one Mr Horace Burrell is sleeping well at nights? This is a guy who has done alot for JAmaica's football, but at the same time, he is not much different from Jack Warner in many ways.
Very interesting. Whereas you guys would love to see the current TTFF go down, I beleieve in Jamaica its the opposite...I strongly feel that if Burrell is kicked out of office, JAmaica can kiss Brazil 2014 goodbye. Not that I dont have faith in our players, but now is not the time to have the Federation in limbo.
Well said. :beermug:
Translation:
I wish Jack was still here, he was good for T&T football.
You heard it from RF yourself, he said Jack & Burrell are similar so if Burrell is good for Jamaican football then it’s only logical that Jack was good for T&T football.
We are suffering now because my good friend Jack is no longer involved, it good for allyuh!!
Ah get the translation correct Coop's?! :beermug:
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I wonder If one Mr Horace Burrell is sleeping well at nights? This is a guy who has done alot for JAmaica's football, but at the same time, he is not much different from Jack Warner in many ways.
Very interesting. Whereas you guys would love to see the current TTFF go down, I beleieve in Jamaica its the opposite...I strongly feel that if Burrell is kicked out of office, JAmaica can kiss Brazil 2014 goodbye. Not that I dont have faith in our players, but now is not the time to have the Federation in limbo.
Well said. :beermug:
Translation:
I wish Jack was still here, he was good for T&T football.
You heard it from RF yourself, he said Jack & Burrell are similar so if Burrell is good for Jamaican football then it’s only logical that Jack was good for T&T football.
We are suffering now because my good friend Jack is no longer involved, it good for allyuh!!
Ah get the translation correct Coop's?! :beermug:
Life must go on Coop's things must change, other people must come to the for front. Maple and Malvern not forces any more.
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Disciplinary Committee bans six match officials for life and Lisle Austin for one year
(FIFA.com) Wednesday 10 August 2011
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee, under the chairmanship of Marcel Mathier (Switzerland), met yesterday, 9 August 2011, to examine two cases, one related to the official Lisle Austin (Barbados), and the other related to the match officials Sinisa Zrnic, Kenan Bajramovic and Rizah Ridalovic (from Bosnia-Herzegovina), and Kolos Lengyel, János Csák and Krisztián Selmeczi (from Hungary).
In the first case, the committee decided to ban Lisle Austin from taking part in any football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of one year for lodging a claim related to football matters in front of the ordinary courts in the Bahamas, constituting a breach of art. 64 par. 2 of the FIFA Statutes. Lisle Austin had been provisionally suspended by the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee on 4 July 2011, the date from which the one-year suspension will start to be counted.
The Disciplinary Committee also decided that should Lisle Austin not withdraw the claim lodged in front of the ordinary courts in the Bahamas definitively and irrevocably, he will remain banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level in accordance with art. 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code for as long as the legal proceedings in ordinary courts are pursued. However, the ban of one year is to be served independently from such possible withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the six match officials (Sinisa Zrnic, Kenan Bajramovic, Rizah Ridalovic, Kolos Lengyel, János Csák and Krisztián Selmeczi) have all been banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at national and international level for life. The officials were found guilty of breaching art. 62 par. 2 (passive corruption) and art. 69 par. 1 (unlawfully influencing match results) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The breach was committed in relation to the international “A” friendly matches Bolivia-Latvia and Estonia-Bulgaria played in Antalya (Turkey) on 9 February 2011.
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I wonder If one Mr Horace Burrell is sleeping well at nights? This is a guy who has done alot for JAmaica's football, but at the same time, he is not much different from Jack Warner in many ways.
Very interesting. Whereas you guys would love to see the current TTFF go down, I beleieve in Jamaica its the opposite...I strongly feel that if Burrell is kicked out of office, JAmaica can kiss Brazil 2014 goodbye. Not that I dont have faith in our players, but now is not the time to have the Federation in limbo.
Well said. :beermug:
Translation:
I wish Jack was still here, he was good for T&T football.
You heard it from RF yourself, he said Jack & Burrell are similar so if Burrell is good for Jamaican football then it’s only logical that Jack was good for T&T football.
We are suffering now because my good friend Jack is no longer involved, it good for allyuh!!
Ah get the translation correct Coop's?! :beermug:
Life must go on Coop's things must change, other people must come to the for front. Maple and Malvern not forces any more.
You are so correct,the government going to run Football and teams like NE Stars,QPFC,T&TEC,Joe Public will be the new forces,it's just a matter of time before the crowds come out.
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I never thought Camps received a brown envelope. He almost definately was aware of a gift distribution, who made it and who took them. This is the evidence FIFA require and will ban him for if he doesn't comply.
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what about the money that dish out, where is it?
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what about the money that dish out, where is it?
And doh forget the money that they couldn't dish out because it was refused!
Its possible that some folks already have their lawyer money put aside in case they need to pay for a top lawyer to defend them from making ah jail! :devil:
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Austin banned by FIFA over lawsuit
CMC
ZURICH, Switzerland, CMC – Senior CONCACAF vice-president, Lisle Austin has been slapped with a year-long ban by football’s world governing body FIFA, in the latest fallout from the scandal that has wrecked Caribbean football.
The ban was imposed on Austin by the disciplinary committee after the Barbadian challenged his overthrow as acting CONCACAF president in a Bahamas law court back in June.
Austin had been installed as acting president of the of the governing body for football in North, Central American and Caribbean area following the suspension of former football magnate Jack Warner amidst corruption allegations.
“The committee decided to ban Lisle Austin from taking part in any football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of one year for lodging a claim related to football matters in front of the ordinary courts in the Bahamas, constituting a breach of art. 64 par. 2 of the FIFA Statutes,” FIFA announced yesterday following a meeting of the Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday.
“Lisle Austin had been provisionally suspended by the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee on 4 July 2011, the date from which the one-year suspension will start to be counted.” FIFA also added that the ban would remain in place for as long as the matter remained before the courts.
“The Disciplinary Committee also decided that should Lisle Austin not withdraw the claim lodged in front of the ordinary courts in the Bahamas definitively and irrevocably, he will remain banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level in accordance with art. 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code for as long as the legal proceedings in ordinary courts are pursued,” the statement continued. “However, the ban of one year is to be served independently from such possible withdrawal.”
Austin’s short period in charge of CONCACAF was marked by acrimony as he attempted to fire controversial general secretary Chuck Blazer, and also found himself embroiled in a fight with the executive committee in order to stay in charge.
The executive committee eventually toppled Austin for an apparent breach of FIFA statues but Austin hit back accusing forces of “waging a war” against him.
The latest action by FIFA comes on the heels of a life ban imposed on Qatari Mohamed bin Hamam last month, after the former Asian Football chief was found guilty of corruption.
He had been accused, along with Warner, of offering US$40 000 bribes to Caribbean Football Union members at a May meeting in Trinidad, in exchange for votes at the June 1 FIFA presidential election in which he was a candidate.
Warner subsequently resigned as a FIFA vice-president, and CONCACAF and CFU president, and had all charged against him dropped.
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Groden is charged, Klass of Guyana suspended
FIFA charges 16 officials
ESPN
FIFA has announced 16 officials from Caribbean associations have been charged with breaching rules on ethics in the wake of the bribery scandal that saw Mohamed Bin Hammam banned for life.
FIFA's Ethics Committee opened proceedings against the officials following investigations into a special meeting in Trinidad on May 10 and 11 where cash gifts of USD 40,000 were offered or given to associations belonging to the Caribbean Football Union.
One of the officials, Colin Klass from Guyana, a member of the CFU executive committee, has been provisionally suspended from all football activity. The 16 officials will face further investigations carried out by the company owned by former FBI chief Louis Freeh.
FIFA said in a statement: "The FIFA Ethics Committee has today opened ethics proceedings against 16 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials in regard to apparent violations of the Code of Ethics connected to the investigation of the cases related to the special meeting of the CFU held in Trinidad & Tobago on May 10 and 11, 2011.
"One of the officials, Colin Klass (Guyana), has been provisionally suspended from taking part in any football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) by the chairman of the Ethics Committee, Claudio Sulser (Switzerland), after consideration of the specific information received on this matter.
"Judge Robert T Torres, a member of the Ethics Committee, has been entrusted by the committee with supervising and directing the investigation. With the approval of the committee, he has engaged Freeh Group International Europe (FGI Europe) and the secretariat of the Ethics Committee to assist the committee with this task. The Ethics Committee will contact the 16 officials to arrange further interviews in connection with these proceedings.
"It is important to note that the investigations are still ongoing, and that it is therefore possible that further proceedings could be opened in the future."
Klass, president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), orchestrated a campaign by other associations to write letters backing FIFA vice-president Jack Warner after his provisional suspension on bribery charges.
Klass told Freeh investigators in June there was no offer or talk about cash gifts at the Trinidad meeting.
The Freeh report quotes evidence from Bahamas vice-president Fred Lunn, who took a photo of the cash he was given before returning it on the afternoon of May 10, stating that Klass went into the room when the money was being given.
The report states: "Outside the boardroom, Mr Lunn encountered Lionel Haven (a former Bahamas FA board member) and Colin Klass.
"According to Mr Lunn, Mr Klass stated: 'Why is this door locked, are there people getting bribed around here?' The male (CFU official) then allowed Mr Klass to enter the boardroom, which he exited after a few minutes. Mr Lunn noticed that Mr Klass had a smile on his face and was slightly giggling."
Klass told investigators, however, that he did not go into the boardroom.
The report states: "Mr Klass tried to enter the CFU boardroom on the afternoon of May 10, but was told that the room was not for him. Mr Klass remembered that Mr Warner said on May 11 that the only gifts were a laptop computer and projector.
"Mr Klass ... stated that (he) had not been offered or received any cash gift while in Trinidad and Tobago at the meeting."
The 16 officials are as follows:
David Hinds, Mark Bob Forde (Barbados)
Franka Pickering, Aubrey Liburd (British Virgin Islands)
David Frederick (Cayman Islands)
Osiris Guzman, Felix Ledesma (Dominican Republic)
Colin Klass, Noel Adonis (Guyana)
Yves Jean-Bart (Haiti)
Anthony Johnson (St Kitts and Nevis)
Patrick Mathurin (St Lucia)
Joseph Delves, Ian Hypolite (St Vincent and the Grenadines)
Richard Groden (Trinidad and Tobago)
Hillaren Frederick (US Virgin Islands)
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Ooh Guuude! Like Camps is a smart man! He geh wey fuh now. Groden geh ketch instead
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Ooh Guuude! Like Camps is a smart man! He geh wey fuh now. Groden geh ketch instead
Groden jump in front like yankee secret service when fifa pull out de gun
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Scamps the ocker duck , let me see if he would getaway from the next bullet.
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I notice that there are no officials from Jamaica, Grenada & Dominica on the list, is it that they were the ones who gave "fresh info".
Just wondering!!!!!
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http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_7094089,00.html
:'(
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Former AFC boss slams bribery ban
30 August 2011-AFP
http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1070711/Former-AFC-boss-slams-bribery-ban
Ousted Asian football chief Mohamed bin Hammam on Monday accused FIFA of threatening Caribbean football officials to force them to admit he offered bribes - claims that led to his life ban.
Bin Hammam was slapped with the ban last month after he was found guilty of trying to buy votes in the FIFA presidential race by offering Caribbean football officials $US40,000 ($A38,000) each.
The former head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has denied the charges, calling them "politically motivated", and is appealing the ban.
In a posting on his blog, Bin Hammam published a copy of a letter, purportedly from FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke, asking Caribbean Football Union members to come forward "with all relevant information" within two days.
Anyone who didn't come forward would "be subject to the full range of sanctions," the letter said.
"Based upon the evidence gathered to date, there is reason to believe that numerous people have not been completely candid and forthright in their statements about ... whether they or others were offered or received money," it said.
Bin Hammam said he had been found guilty by a "kangaroo court - FIFA branch" and expressed outrage over the letter dated July 25, two days after the ban was imposed.
"Valcke, the co-owner of FIFA, issued a letter to the CFU member associations, threatening them to either admit that they have been bribed or he will open an investigation to find out if I have bribed them or not!!" he said.
The 62-year-old Qatari did not say how he obtained the document.
Bin Hammam's suspension by FIFA on May 29 over the accusations led to his withdrawal from the world football body's leadership election, handing incumbent president Sepp Blatter a fourth consecutive term in office.
The controversy has highlighted allegations of corruption in FIFA and sparked calls for reform of its governance structure, which anti-graft watchdog Transparency International earlier this month called "opaque".
The vote-buying accusations also raised questions over last year's controversial decision to award Qatar the right to host the 2022 World Cup, beating Australia, the United States, South Korea and Japan.
Bin Hammam, a former chairman of the Qatar Football Association, had played a key role in pre-vote lobbying for his home country's bid.
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Caribbean football must avoid FIFA abyss.
By Lasana Liburd (play the game).
“Will Caribbean football crumble without the man they called ‘Teflon Jack’”, journalist Lasana Liburd asks in this comment piece discussing how football in the Caribbean will go on after Jack Warner resigned as head of CONCACAF and CFU amid corruption allegations.
Conceit, according to United States sales guru Zig Ziglar, is the one disease that makes everyone sick except the one who has it.
The ambition of former CONCACAF and Caribbean Football Union (CFU) president Jack Warner knew no bounds. His sycophants, spread across most of the 25 CFU member nations, bought into Warner’s swagger and the suggestion that he and FIFA were the same.
Was it always smoke and mirrors? Was it a Ponzi scheme of sorts in which influence was leveraged to create political strength and then cashed in?
Warner convinced the Caribbean that he and not FIFA President Sepp Blatter was the most powerful man in football. But, sold on his own hype, he overplayed his hand. It was not enough to be seen as influential. The Trinidad and Tobago citizen decided to actually influence the June 2011 FIFA Presidential elections.
And then, before you could say “bribery”, the game was up.
Warner resigned in the face of FIFA’s “overwhelming evidence” that he conspired with disgraced ex-FIFA Presidential candidate and former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed Bin Hammam to bribe CFU associations in the buildup to the election.
Bin Hammam was banned for life on July 23 although a final verdict is yet to be reached on the fate of 16 CFU officials from 11 different associations who were deemed to be either uncooperative or dishonest with FIFA’s investigators.
Nearly four months since Bin Hammam’s infamous trip to Port of Spain, the CFU has apparently been reduced to an afterthought. But will Caribbean football similarly crumble without the man they called “Teflon Jack”? The answer is yes but mostly no.
The system of power that allowed 25 Caribbean nations with a total of four World Cup final berths between them—one each for Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba—more clout than South America always seemed incongruous. Democracy irked the more established football nations.
Arguably, the greater sin was in the fact that the Caribbean’s elevated status on FIFA’s political ladder rarely translated into tangible support for the regional teams.
Trinidad and Tobago came within a point of the 1990 World Cup and then went a step further in 2006, Jamaica qualified in 1998 while St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis and Barbados enjoyed periods of relative success in between. In almost every case, the financial rewards for their positive showings was not administered in a way that would benefit the island’s football structure or never made it into the coffers of the respective associations at all.
Islands pocketed millions from FIFA grants and developmental programs without properly accounting for its use.
Nearly half the member associations charged with improper conduct in relation to the Bin Hammam bribery scandal have not played a single international game in this calendar year. And yet there they were with hands out for oil money as they mused over the possible identity of the next FIFA President.
Apart from FIFA mandated fixtures, the Dominican Republic has not played a football match since October 8, 2008 when they were trounced 9-0 away to Trinidad and Tobago.
Their officials, Osiris Guzman and Felix Ledesma, should have been facing sanctions not being offered brown envelopes stuffed with cash.
The last friendly international played by Bahamas was in 2003 when they lost 6-0 to Haiti. Turks and Caicos has not arranged its own football match since a 3-0 loss against the Cayman Islands on September 27, 2000.
The Caribbean also boasts the worse team in FIFA. Montserrat is at the bottom of the football ranking alongside Andorra, American Samoa and San Marino. And the tiny island has only ever played one friendly in 12 years as a FIFA member.
It probably wouldn't matter to these islands if the FIFA Vice-President was Jack Warner or Jack the Ripper.
Dwight Yorke, the Caribbean’s most celebrated football star, might be Warner’s compatriot but there was precious little benefit gained from that fact.
A former record signing at Manchester United, Yorke, who retired two years ago, is the 10th highest England Premier League goal scorer of all time and is the competition’s top non-European scorer—Frenchman Thierry Henry and Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are the only non-English players to manage more items than he did.
Yet, for all those achievements, Yorke does not have so much as a plaque from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) for his contribution to the game. Rather, Warner once called him a “cancer to the game” after the player pulled out of a friendly fixture.
So, FIFA’s body blows might be fatal to the political structure of Caribbean football. But then the CFU rarely gave the suggestion that its role was to celebrate regional football talent or mold proper football teams.
Formed in 1979, the CFU didn’t hold a football tournament for ten years. And, when it did in 1989, it was a pre-launch party as Warner consolidated his base before making a successful run at the CONCACAF helm, a year later.
Maybe it wasn’t even Warner’s idea.
In Warner’s biography, he credited American Chuck Blazer for the blueprint of his charge to power. On the eve of the CONCACAF Presidential election, FIFA President Joao Havelange personally canvassed the delegates in his hotel room.
When Warner became CFU president in 1983, ten of CONCACAF’s 22 member associations were from the Caribbean and the islands felt that the Confederation’s Mexican President Joaquin Terrazas was intentionally keeping them at bay. But, in 1988, Havelange welcomed three new Caribbean nations into the FIFA family and the stage was set for Warner’s ascendancy.
In the next decade, eight more Caribbean nations joined FIFA while Bermuda, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico left the North American zone to also participate with the CFU. There were now 25 CFU members of the 35 CONCACAF associations.
But Warner’s attempt to replace Sepp Blatter—if that was indeed his intention—brought down the house of cards. Fittingly, Blazer, the man who made him king, was his executioner.
Former interim CONCACAF President Lisle Austin attempted to remove Blazer within a week of inheriting Warner’s responsibilities but was quickly scythed down by the American. At present, Austin, a Barbadian, is suspended by FIFA for attempting to reverse Blazer’s decision in court.
The court, incidentally, backed Austin. Not for the first time, FIFA ignored the law. Within weeks, Blazer claimed to have wooed 10 of the 25 CFU associations.
Today, 14 of the region’s associations have made their peace with the new power structure and the CFU barely exists on paper—even staff members claimed to be unsure about where the Caribbean body is registered and Warner appeared to use their funds as though it was his private account.
So, the body that permitted a former Trinidadian school teacher to have photo opportunities with living icons and world leaders is now a stiff.
Caribbean football is not necessarily dead and buried, though.
With the likes of Kenwyne Jones (Stoke City and Trinidad and Tobago), Ricardo Fuller (Stoke City and Jamaica) and Jason Roberts (Blackburn Rovers and Grenada) competing at such a high level, the Caribbean talent pool is not shallow. The replacement of the current crop of incompetent and disinterested administrators should help the respective nations to fashion decent teams around such stars and better their chances of creating superior replacements.
At the least, the abuse of the dreams of athletes and fans throughout the Caribbean should stop.
Warner was knocked down by his own runaway ego and nearly half of the region might suffer a similar fate. But Caribbean football can still lift itself from the abyss.
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Ooh Guude!!! Whap Lasana
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Smokescreen or not, this could be serious for T&T. "The Caribbean authorities may get lifetime bans if they were found to be withholding information."
Lets be honest, if we all had to bet on whether TTFF gave evidence against Jack, we'd all win. Again, Camps is in a Catch 22 situation. If he gave evidence, he would upset Jack who could cause Camps all kind of pain, and if he doesn't, T&T could be banned for life.
My question is this: They say the authorities could be banned, but thats not really fair on the nation they represent. Remember, govt can't tell TTFF what to do. TTFF is a private company. So, does it mean that all members of TTFF could be banned and a new Federation would be formed? Could be a Godsend for T&T football.
It would not affect the country. It would have minimal effect on the Fed. The members themselves would have to get to fuc& out and be replaced.
VB
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Caribbean football must avoid FIFA abyss.
By Lasana Liburd (play the game).
Islands pocketed millions from FIFA grants and developmental programs without properly accounting for its use.
Formed in 1979, the CFU didn’t hold a football tournament for ten years. And, when it did in 1989, it was a pre-launch party as Warner consolidated his base before making a successful run at the CONCACAF helm, a year later.
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Nonsense. I am pretty sure that TT won the CFU tournament in 1982. Beating hosts Puerto Rico by something like 7-2.
Alvin Corenal was the Coach.
VB
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Caribbean football must avoid FIFA abyss.
By Lasana Liburd (play the game).
Islands pocketed millions from FIFA grants and developmental programs without properly accounting for its use.
Formed in 1979, the CFU didn’t hold a football tournament for ten years. And, when it did in 1989, it was a pre-launch party as Warner consolidated his base before making a successful run at the CONCACAF helm, a year later.
.
Nonsense. I am pretty sure that TT won the CFU tournament in 1982. Beating hosts Puerto Rico by something like 7-2.
Alvin Corenal was the Coach.
VB
The CFU was formed in Haiti in January 1978.
"Date Published: 1978-02-03
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
Page: 10
Jamaica Football Federation Secretary Glen Neil Dwyer has been appointed an executive member of the Caribbean Football Union which was launched last week Saturday in Haiti."
The first finals were held the same year in October.
"Date Published: 1978-10-22
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
Page: 12
PORT Of SPAIN, Trinidad, Oct 21 (CANA):
The first championship clash of the top Caribbean football teams in the Nations Cup tournament takes place here tomorrow at the Queen's Park Oval between Haiti and Suriname.
Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua are the other countries placing the finals of this inaugural series."
They were playing for the Duvalier Trophy back then.
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Today, 14 of the region’s associations have made their peace with the new power structure and the CFU barely exists on paper—even staff members claimed to be unsure about where the Caribbean body is registered and Warner appeared to use their funds as though it was his private account.
CFU is still listed as having the TV rights for the 2014 WC Qualifiers and World Cup:
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/tv/01/47/76/00/2014fifaworldcupbrazilmediarightslicenseeslist.pdf
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Nearly half the member associations charged with improper conduct in relation to the Bin Hammam bribery scandal have not played a single international game in this calendar year. And yet there they were with hands out for oil money as they mused over the possible identity of the next FIFA President.
And we think we have it bad? What are these federations doing? Clearly, they receive FIFA funding, so does that just go on wages, 1st class flights and 5 star hotels?
"Apart from FIFA mandated fixtures, the Dominican Republic has not played a football match since October 8, 2008 when they were trounced 9-0 away to Trinidad and Tobago.
Their officials, Osiris Guzman and Felix Ledesma, should have been facing sanctions not being offered brown envelopes stuffed with cash.
The last friendly international played by Bahamas was in 2003 when they lost 6-0 to Haiti. Turks and Caicos has not arranged its own football match since a 3-0 loss against the Cayman Islands on September 27, 2000.
The Caribbean also boasts the worse team in FIFA. Montserrat is at the bottom of the football ranking alongside Andorra, American Samoa and San Marino. And the tiny island has only ever played one friendly in 12 years as a FIFA member. "
You can understand why other confederations and CONCACAF members get vexed. These countries should be made to play a minimum number of internationals per year or lose membership of FIFA. Their inclusion was just a jerrymandering tactic to obtain political power. Now they must prove that they are part of the global footballing family. They receive FIFA funding, so they must be held accountable.
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FIFA suspends Guyana's Colin Klass
ESPN.
ZURICH -- FIFA banned Caribbean soccer official Colin Klass for more than two years Friday for his part in a bribery scandal involving former presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam.
Klass was found guilty of three breaches of the governing body's code of ethics, including breaking confidentiality rules and not disclosing "evidence of violations of conduct."
FIFA said in a statement that Klass was barred from any soccer-related activity for 26 months.
FIFA expelled Klass through October 2013 and also fined him $5,500. He can appeal. Klass will lose his seat on FIFA's futsal and beach soccer committee and the presidency of Guyana's soccer federation, which he has led since 1989.
FIFA is investigating another 15 Caribbean officials it suspects were offered or accepted $40,000 cash payments to back bin Hammam's challenge to FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Those cases likely will be heard next month.
Klass was the only one of the 16 to be suspended pending a hearing after FIFA cited "consideration of the specific information received on this matter."
He is a longtime ally of former FIFA vice president Jack Warner, who ran Caribbean soccer for three decades until resigning in June. FIFA then dropped its investigation into the Trinidad and Tobago government minister's role in bin Hammam's campaign visit to Port of Spain in May.
Klass, who sat on the Caribbean Football Union executive committee, attended the meeting where members heard the Qatari candidate's pitch.
Whistleblowers' statements said Klass was present as officials later lined up to receive a gift distributed by CFU staffers. Witnesses said they were given brown envelopes filled with four piles of $100 bills.
The case against Klass was prepared by investigators hired by FIFA from FGI Europe, an agency led by former FBI director Louis Freeh.
Tarnished by the scandal, bin Hammam withdrew his candidacy three days before the FIFA election in June, though he denies the allegations.
Blatter was left unopposed and received a fourth four-year presidential term. He was endorsed by 186 of FIFA's 208 national members, including most Caribbean islands. On Oct. 21, Blatter is to provide details of his promised anti-corruption project to clean up soccer and its damaged image.
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Groden have to come real good to survive this one. I hope to God they take him down and ban his ass for life. What did LP say....he about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike?
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WATCH: There was a time when the Caribbean was amongst the upper echelons of world football. Yet the region has only ever been responsible for 3 teams in World Cup finals. Why did a region of the Americas have so much power off the pitch, yet achieved so little on it? Has it changed now? Will we see a Caribbean island at a major tournament again? What does Guus Hiddink have to do with it all?
https://www.youtube.com/v/qvqaGe9GjkI