In the wake of his alleged involvement in a $4.4 million (US$690,000) FIFA scandal, Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner says he has nothing to answer to anyone. Warner said that while responding to questions on a London's Sunday Times article, published on February 11. "Let them write, when I want to talk I will talk. I have nothing to answer to anybody," Warner insisted yesterday.
The report claimed the money, which was donated by FIFA and South Korea, was wired to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) to be transferred to the Haiti Football Federation following the devastation caused by an earthquake in 2010. Warner was then adviser to the TTFF, FIFA Vice President and President of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). The newspaper report alleged that Warner collected the money on behalf of Haiti, requesting that it be deposited into a TTFF account.
It further claimed the re-elected Haitian Football Federation president Yves Jean-Bart said that only $381,000 (US$60,000) was sent. FIFA confirmed it sent $1.6 million (US$250,000) to the TTFF account to be used as emergency aid in Haiti. The newspaper said the money was never made available to the football body in Haiti. It added that FIFA- since last month-stopped all funding to the TTFF.
Warner was dismissive yesterday. "You can't take every foolish report that appears in a newspaper and ask me questions about it. This happened, I mean, imagine two years ago, two years ago (and) something has now been raised, ask yourself why guys," Warner said. He said he was disappointed that the media found it necessary to ask him questions about that matter. He asked the media to question why such matters were being raised at this time. Warner also commented on the recent levy action by the former members of the national football team (Soca Warriors).
The court ordered levy action against the TTFF to recover money owed to the members of the Soca Warriors. Warner said: "Not one piece of equipment belong to the TTFF, but they seized it, and what they seize they would have to return." Warner did not stop there. Before another question could have been asked he commented on reports of FIFA stopping his pension payments.
"Then of course FIFA withholds Jack Warner's pension. News for Jack Warner, but of course that's okay. The next story about how Jack Warner having to be in court this morning. Look where I am guys, am I in court this morning?" He questioned why were the media in T&T publishing the stories without investigating them first. "To make me look bad? Let me tell you something. There is nothing anybody could say or do to make me look bad anymore. Everything that has been said about Jack Warner has already been said. Everything that has to be written has always been written and I still continue to do the people's work," Warner stressed.
Still, without a question being asked, Warner continued. "Let us be friends. I don't want any favours from the media. You have to write, write. You have to print, print. What I don't want is the kind of bias I see taking place," Warner added. Moments later when a reporter attempted to ask about the Sunday Times report, Warner said he just spoke about that matter. "That's a foolish article."
Warner then said: "In the absence of PURE (Programme for the Upgrade of Road Efficiency) being resolved I have a lot of work still to do in the country... I have nothing to run from." He was also critical of the President of the CFU management committee, Jeffrey Webb for apologising to England for an "invisible" event. "What you apologising for?" he added. Earlier Warner opened a new access road from the Eastern Main Road in Arima to the Arima District Hospital.