T&TFF blanks Fifa Ethics Committee
By: Nigel Simon (Guardian).
The T&T Football Federation has decided against attending a three-day meeting which began in Miami, Florida USA yesterday as requested by the private investigators, hired by the FIFA Ethics Committee.
At the meeting, it is expected the Caribbean Football Union members will be questioned about claims they were given money as a bribe by FIFA executive member Mohammed bin Hammam of Qatar and FIFA vice-president, Jack Warner at a meeting in Trinidad on May 10 and 11.
As part of the probe into the alleged bribery allegations against the suspended duo of Warner, who is also the CONCACAF president and bin Hammam, private investigators hired by the ethics committee began to interview the heads of the CFU members at the centre of the scandal, yesterday.
However, it appears as many as 18 of the 25 associations refused to attend the summons, including the T&TFF. The letter of invitations came from FIFA ethics committee secretary Marc Cavaliero.
The probe is looking into claims the CFU members were each paid US$40,000 (in four packs of 100-dollar bills each totalling 10,000 dollars) to vote for Bin Hammam as FIFA president. Bin Hammam was the only opponent to president Sepp Blatter and he withdrew from the election in the wake of the allegations, leaving Blatter to be elected for a fourth term unopposed on June 1.
T&T calls FIFA probe bias
But one association has complained to FIFA that the investigation is “biased” towards the USA—one of the defeated bids for the 2022 World Cup—and has called for ex-FBI director Louis Freeh to be replaced as lead investigator.
A source close to the T&TFF confirmed the local federation was invited to the tribunal but turned down the offer. “Once the tribunal is being held on American soil the T&TFF will not be attending because it is felt it will be bias.” “Providing the tribunal can take place in another country, then the T&TFF will have no problem attending”.
But whistleblower, Chuck Blazer, the fired CONCACAF general secretary, and USA’s FIFA member, who first brought the allegations to the attention of the world governing body, denied an American conspiracy is behind the investigation into the bribery scandal surrounding bin Hammam and Warner.
Blazer said: “To say there is an American conspiracy is nonsense. The only things that were American in this were the 100 dollar bills. “I have nothing to do with the investigation. If national associations do not respond to FIFA’s summons that’s up to FIFA to deal with it.”
CFU letter to FIFA
A letter of complaint to FIFA president Sepp Blatter by a Caribbean federation chairman added: “The investigation is tainted and biased and clearly has a US-driven agenda.
“I write to expose what can now be confirmed as attempts at intimidation and terrorisation by forces who wish to divide and destroy the 30-year history of the CFU.” The letter asks Blatter to replace Freeh with a “truly independent investigator and secure a neutral venue for the interview of any Caribbean Football Union member other than the USA.”
It also points out former USA president Bill Clinton worked on the USA 2022 bid, during the time Freeh was FBI director, and the main complainants, Blazer and Chicago-based lawyer John Collins, are American, as are the investigators with the “interrogation being conducted on American soil.”
The connection between Freeh and Clinton may be tenuous, however, as they had a well-publicised feud during almost all the time the former president was in the White House. A letter from FIFA’s ethics committee to the associations has told federation chiefs to meet investigators from June 7-9.
Cavaliero’s letter contained a warning to the CFU members should they fail to attend the meeting. It states: “Although you are under no obligation to attend such a meeting please be advised that the FIFA ethics committee may draw a negative inference in the event that you (i) do not make the arrangements sought herein, or (ii) do not attend the meeting requested.
“Furthermore, we kindly remind you that as an official you have a duty of disclosure and reporting, including providing any evidence requested for inspection.”
FIFA say they will pick up the tab for travel to and accommodation in Miami, USA and say if officials cannot make the dates requested they must offer an alternative to take place within the next 10 days.
