TTFF to sue Warner today.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) has decided to sue its former special advisor and Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jack Warner over missing 2006 World Cup revenue and agreed to send a pre-action protocol letter to Warner today.
Deryck Ali, attorney for the TTFF, informed Justice Devindra Rampersad of his client's intention at the Port of Spain High Court this morning.
The TTFF, along with its former President Oliver Camps, was sued by its former World Cup players over unpaid bonuses in 2007. The football body supposedly banked over $180 million arising from the 2006 World Cup, according to a Freedom of Information request by the players in 2007, but has claimed that Warner had complete authority over its funds.
"The TTFF realises the final responsibility for any account in its name lies with us but confesses that it surrendered its authority to Mr Warner," stated the TTFF, in a release on Thursday morning, "(and) we never questioned his authority or actions and are now in a position of despair as we are starved of funds by FIFA until full disclosure, which we are unable to provide without Mr. Warner's input.
"Sadly Mr Warner seems disinclined to comply with our repeated requests."
The 13 "Soca Warriors" who filed suit are:
Kenwyne Jones, Shaka Hislop, Stern John, Brent Sancho, Collin Samuel, Avery John, Cyd Gray, Cornell Glen, Kelvin Jack, Aurtis Whitley, Evans Wise, David Atiba Charles and Anthony Wolfe.
Sancho, Gray, Wise and Charles were in court today along with their attorneys Dave De Peiza, Phillip Lamont and George Hislop. TTFF General Secretary Richard Groden and ex-President Oliver Camps were also present.
On Sunday, FIFA revealed that it has withheld its annual subvention of $1.6 million (US$250,000) to TTFF due to its inability to locate money sent to the body, two years ago, to be further disbursed by Warner to Haiti.
The High Court is also unable to determine the bonus figure owed to the 2006 World Cup squad because of a shortage of documentation and, on 8 February 2012, the "Soca Warriors" seized all removable assets from the TTFF headquarters as a result of its failure to satisfy a debt to the players.
Groden was in danger of being found in contempt of court too for his failure to ensure that a court order to his former employee, Warner, was carried out on 10 February 2012.
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