http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/FIFA_gifts-136554238.htmlFIFA gifts
...Warner 'given' $m World Cup rights
By Ian Prescott ian.prescott@trinidadexpress.com Story Created: Jan 2, 2012 at 11:54 PM ECT
Should World Cup television rights have been given to Jack Warner for his personal use and enrichment or to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) for the development of the sport in the country?
Either way, former TTFF special adviser and FIFA vice-president Warner claims that world governing body FIFA and president Sepp Blatter gave million-dollar World Cup rights as a "gift" to the boys as reward for support in presidential elections.
There are allegations that Warner became a millionaire using money earned from the rights. Having gotten the rights almost free they would then be sold to media organisations for millions to guarantee exclusive coverage of the World Cup and other FIFA events.
On Thursday, Warner, Minister of Works in the People's Partnership Government, issued a release stating that FIFA, through Blatter, gave him the TV rights for Trinidad and Tobago as "gifts", the last time being for the 2018 World Cup, to be held in Russia.
But the rights have since been rescinded following Warner's well-documented fall out with the governing body.
One of its longest-serving executive members, Warner resigned from FIFA amidst a bribery scandal after he facilitated a meeting in Port of Spain last May at which 2011 FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam was alleged to have offered US$1m in bribes to Caribbean Football Union (CFU) officials in exchange for votes in June's election.
One of the three most powerful men in football, Warner resigned all his posts and FIFA subsequently dropped an investigation into his part in the scandal on the condition that he stay away from football.
Several CFU officials were also suspended, fined and reprimanded, while Asian Football Association president Bin Hammam was banned for life.
In Thursday's release, Warner damaged FIFA's already tarnished image and, to some extent, his own credibility.
"In 2011, in exchange for my support (and, by extension, the support of the CFU and CONCACAF) in the FIFA presidential election, FIFA again offered me the sale of the World Cup rights for 2018 and 2022 as a 'gift' at a nominal fee.
"FIFA also agreed to pay for the re-grassing of the Marvin Lee Stadium at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence (in Macoya) and as well as to grant two US$500,000 Goal Projects as a gift to the CONCACAF to do with as we wished," Warner said in the release.
"In 1998, FIFA, through Mexican company OTI, sold me the FIFA World Cup rights for Trinidad and Tobago for US$1. This was just after Blatter had won the FIFA presidency following a most brutal campaign against Lennart Johansson, a campaign in which Bin Hammam and I played critical roles in support of Mr Blatter," Warner added.
"The sale of those rights by me was used primarily to assist in the development of football in Trinidad and Tobago."
Warner controlled 30 votes as president of the Caribbean Football Union and several more as CONCACAF president and therefore was a major player in deciding FIFA elections.
At that time, when Warner paid TT$6 for this country's TV rights, he held the offices of CONCACAF president; president of the Caribbean Football Union; and a member of the Executive Committee of FIFA.
Warner would continue to get the rights for the next ten years (1998-2008) at next to nothing in exchange for his support. And had he not fallen from grace, Warner would have been guaranteed the World Cup rights until 2022.
"In 2002, Mr Blatter had another brutal campaign for the FIFA presidency, this time against Issa Hayatou, and, in this campaign, Bin Hammam and I again played extremely critical roles in his re-election, as well as in preventing several members of the then Executive Committee from instituting criminal charges against him.
"Having won the 2002 election for the FIFA presidency, president Blatter sold me, not the CFU, the World Cup TV rights for 2002 and 2006, no doubt in appreciation of the work I did (with Bin Hammam) for his re-election.
"The sale of these rights was used to develop Caribbean football, as manifested via its congresses and committee meetings," Warner said in his release.
"For the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, the World Cup TV rights were again sold to me personally, however, using the CFU as the vehicle. These rights were then sold by me and the proceeds were once again primarily used to fund football activities in the Caribbean, including but not limited to the hosting of congresses and committee meetings, the hosting of all Caribbean age-group competitions and general development activities."
Despite Warner's disclosure that the rights were used for development of football in T&T, the Caribbean and CONCACAF, it is ironic that the impoverished Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation still does not have a home of its own and is now almost bankrupt.
And the equally bankrupt Caribbean Football Union did not have enough funds to hold its own 2011 congress and election, which was set for last November in Montego Bay, Jamaica, but was postponed due to a lack of funds.
