Bin Hammam will be vindicated "in the end"-Jack ..."and I'll have my say then."
While Qatar's Mohammed Bin Hammam believes FIFA's Ethics Committee may have already found him guilty, former FIFA vice president Jack Warner says Bin Hammam will be vindicated "in the end." Warner spoke about the situation yesterday as FIFA's Ethics Committee prepares to pronounce on the probe concerning bribery allegations against Bin Hammam. The team was expected to finalise a verdict by today.
Indicating that he holds no fear for himself in the verdict, Warner said, "No matter how long it takes, Bin Hammam will be vindicated and I will also have my say on FIFA.....I'm not saying anything now, but I assure you, at the end of the day, I will." "This FIFA issue may not end right now-and I will speak at the appropriate time." Bin Hammam is alleged to have offered bribes worth $40,000 (US) each to Caribbean states to support his bid for the FIFA presidency. He and Warner had been accused of mounting the effort at a May 10 and 11 meeting at the Hyatt in Port- of-Spain.
Warner, who had been suspended from FIFA pending the investigation, resigned from FIFA last month and is not facing the probe. Warner was thanked by FIFA for his 30 years' service. While there has been a "presumption of his innocence", a leaked interim report on the probe last month indicated that had Warner faced the full investigation he would have been found guilty. Warner also said he supported a call by acting CONCACAF president (Lisle Austin) for a forensic audit of commissions. He added, "When that (audit) happens, a lot more will be revealed."
Austin, the Barbadian football administrator issued a call to football stakeholders to demand transparency in CONCACAF operations. Austin had assumed the CONCACAF leadership when Warner had been first suspended from FIFA. Austin's call follows media reports alleging that ex-CONCACAF general secretary, Chuck Blazer, secretly obtained millions in "commissions" from football marketing deals last year. Austin had attempted to restore confidence in the embattled organisation by hiring an external firm to conduct a Forensic Audit into the Confederation's accounts.
Austin said "For nearly two months in my role as acting President of CONCACAF, I repeatedly asked for an independent audit of CONCACAF's finances-to no avail." "I've been denied access to the Federation's New York headquarters and the records. The revelations by Andrew Jennings and the report in today's New York Times lay out exactly why my call for accountability and transparency is so clearly needed."