FIFA disciplinary committee recommended yesterday that no action be taken against vice-president Jack Warner over allegations that he illegally sold thousands of tickets during the World Cup.
Marcel Mathier, who headed the committee’s examination, said there was no evidence that Warner infringed Fifa rules during the tournament in Germany.
He recommended that world soccer’s governing body express its disapproval of Warner, but said the case should now be closed.
Warner was not present at the news conference.
He had “accepted the unanimous decision of the Executive Committee,” President Sepp Blatter said.
In an immediate response from Zurich yesterday, Warner described the decision as a vindication.
“I have been vindicated today by the Fifa Executive Committee as I had always expected for, as I have said from the inception, that I had committed no offence,” he said.
“I am happy that my record-making 24 consecutive years in the Fifa Executive Committee today remains unblemished.
“I know that, especially in my country, there will be those who will be disappointed with the results of the Fifa investigation and its decision and will no doubt make other attempts to tarnish my character and good name.
“This is indeed very unfortunate but I promise to be forever vigilant in the struggle against personal, vindictive and political attacks against me being confident that, in the end, good shall always over come evil.
“I wish to thank all those persons and organisations who, over the past months, have kept faith in my integrity and I refer here—especially to my family, my staff, my friends both at home and abroad and to my political party—the United National Congress,” Warner said.
British media reports in September claimed that Warner was involved in the sale of thousands of World Cup tickets on the black market, including to 900 England fans.
The Daily Mail reported it had obtained confidential reports produced by auditors Ernst & Young for Fifa revealing that Warner made at least US$933,000 selling World Cup tickets.
“It could not be evidenced that Mr Jack Warner had knowledge of the resale of these tickets at a higher price,” Mathier said.
“The resale is certainly forbidden, but the person who did the reselling is not subject to the Fifa jurisdiction, because it is the son of Jack Warner.”
Mathier said Fifa was unable to sanction Warner’s son Daryan because he was employed outside the Fifa family.
Daryan allegedly sold the tickets through the T&T travel agency Simpaul, which was owned by Warner’s family.
Despite a lack of evidence of wrongdoing, Mathier recommended that Warner be scolded.
“Subjectively speaking, one could ask oneself whether Jack Warner did not have any knowledge of the activity of his son in relation to ticketing,” Mathier said.
The Fifa executive committee adopted the recommendations and said Warner should ensure that his son in the future “does not abuse the position held by his father.”
In September, Fifa president Sepp Blatter confirmed that the governing body had been notified of the ticket sales by Ernst & Young months earlier but had sought to deal with the case internally.
He sent the case to the 19-member disciplinary body only after the media reports surfaced.
“Mr Warner has accepted the report which has been presented and the unanimous decision of the executive committee without any comment,” Blatter said.
When I get big I want to be just like Jack.
