Jack Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam to be accused of offering $40,000 bribes to national associations
Fifa presidential challenger Mohamed Bin Hammam and controversial powerbroker Jack Warner will be accused of offering $40,000 cash bribes to national football associations when they appear before a Fifa ethics committee hearing on Sunday, Telegraph Sport can disclose.
Denial: Jack Warner (left) and Mohamed Bin Hammam have both said allegations of bribery are untrue Photo: REUTERS/GETTY IMAGES
By Paul Kelso 7:35PM BST 25 May 2011
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The sensational allegations are contained in a report compiled by Fifa executive committee member Chuck Blazer that has thrown the presidential election into chaos just a week before the vote, and deepened the corruption crisis engulfing the world governing body.
Fifa opened disciplinary proceedings against Bin Hammam and Warner on Wednesday, and they have been summoned to appear before an ethics committee hearing on Sunday, just four days before the scheduled vote. Two officials from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) also face disciplinary charges.
The cash offers are alleged to have been made at a specially convened meeting of the CFU on May 10-11 in Trinidad, Warner’s home country. The meeting was arranged by Warner and Bin Hammam to allow the Qatari to address members of the CFU as part of his presidential campaign.
It is understood that Blazer’s report alleges that Warner, on behalf of Bin Hammam, offered members of the Caribbean Football Union $40,000 (£25,000) in cash as a “gifts” and “development projects” , and that it was implied that the money was in return for votes in the presidential election.
It is alleged that the approaches were made in private meetings with Warner and that all 25 members of the CFU with a vote in the presidential election may have been approached.
The report was prepared on Blazer’s behalf by John Collins, a former federal prosecutor and partner in the Chicago legal firm Collins and Collins, after he was approached by CFU members outraged at the approaches.
“I conducted the investigation,” Collins, a member of Fifa’s legal committee, told Telegraph Sport. “I interviewed a number of parties and collated a number of documents including sworn affidavits. I then passed the report to Fifa on Mr Blazer’s behalf.”
A number of those approached by Warner are understood to have been interviewed by Collins as part of his investigation.
The CFU meeting was arranged after Bin Hammam was unable to attend the annual congress in Miami of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) of which Warner is president. Bin Hammam was denied entry to the United States because of problems with his visa.
Warner has long been considered the king-maker in presidential elections with his control of the 38 Concacaf votes the key to either candidate’s success. The charges against Bin Hammam, a Qatari, and Warner come with Fifa already facing corruption allegations arising from the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process.
The CFU has 30 members, 25 of whom have a vote in the presidential election.
As well as testimony from Blazer, Telegraph Sport understands that the allegations are supported by signed affidavits from several witnesses.
Bribery is explicitly forbidden under Fifa’s code of ethics and both Bin Hammam and Warner can expect a lengthy ban if found guilty of the charges.
Both denied any wrongdoing last night and suggested that that the charges were motivated by Sepp Blatter’s desire to win a fourth term in office.
“If there is even the slightest justice in the world, these allegations will vanish in the wind,” Bin Hammam said. “This move is little more than a tactic being used by those who have no confidence in their own ability to emerge successfully from the FIifa presidential election.
Warner was just as dismissive. “I completely deny any allegations of wrongdoing either intentionally or unknowingly while I was in the Caribbean,” he told Telegraph Sport. “I am unaware of the particulars of the matter being investigated by Fifa at this time, so I will therefore abstain from any comment until such time as I have been made aware of all that has been submitted to Fifa.
“What I can say at this time is that I am not aware of any wrongdoing on my part and I shall listen to allegations made and respond accordingly. It is interesting to note the timing of these allegations and the hearing scheduled days before the Fifa presidential elections.”
In a statement Fifa confirmed that Secretary General Jérôme Valcke had received a report alleging possible violations of the Fifa Code of Ethics, including bribery allegations, and that a hearing would be held in Zurich on Sunday.
The statement read: “On 24 May, 2011, Fifa executive committee member and CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer reported to Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke possible violations of the Fifa code of ethics allegedly committed by officials.
“In particular, the report referred to a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union, apparently organised jointly by Fifa Vice-President Jack A Warner and Fifa Executive Committee member Mohamed bin Hammam, which took place on May 10 and 11 2011. This meeting was linked to the upcoming Fifa presidential election.
“Subsequently, the Fifa Ethics Committee today opened a procedure against the following officials: Fifa Vice-President Jack A Warner; Fifa Executive Committee member Mohamed bin Hammam; CFU official Debbie Minguell; CFU official Jason Sylvester.” The ethics committee hearing will be heard by its deputy chairman Petrus Damaseb, of Namibia, after chairman Claudio Sulser declined to participate because, like Blatter, he is Swiss.
Fifa is already examining corruption allegations levelled against six executive committee members in Parliament earlier this month, including bribery claims levelled at the Qatar 2022 World Cup bid.
A whistleblower scheduled to give evidence to Fifa this week has pulled out of legal advice, and the Football Association is due to deliver a file on Lord Triesman’s allegations against executive committee members to Fifa on Friday.
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