FIFA Corruption

[rdroze]

A few interesting tidbits in this update, including that Bin Hammam was apparently pressured by his own Emir to withdraw from the FIFA presidency race in order to avoid a re-vote for 2022.

Fifa's investigation into bribery allegations against Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner takes new twist

By Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter

10:30PM BST 02 Jun 2011

The independent investigation is being led by the former director of the FBI Louis Freeh, who was appointed last week and is working under the direction of the Fifa ethics committee.

It has also emerged that two other Fifa executive committee members travelled to the meeting at which Bin Hammam addressed members of the Caribbean Football Union.

Worawi Makudi of Thailand and V Manilal Fernando of Sri Lanka, who was appointed to the executive committee this week, are understood to have accompanied Bin Hammam to the special conference in Port-of-Spain.

It is unclear in what capacity Makudi and Manilal attended. Attempts to contact both men on Thursday were unsuccessful.

Since Freeh opened the investigation last week a number of national associations present at a meeting in Trinidad, at which $1 million (£600,000) in bribes are alleged to have been offered, have made contact.

Freeh, 61, served as an FBI special agent before becoming an attorney, and made his name as lead prosecutor in a notorious New York Mafia trial in the 1980s. He was director of the FBI for eight years between 1993 and 2001.

Freeh has begun interviewing witnesses who attended the CFU meeting, including those who provided statements and sworn affidavits to the original investigation ordered by American Fifa executive committee member Chuck Blazer.

Former US federal prosecutor John Collins compiled a report based on witness statements from seven Caribbean football officials from four countries, as well as testimony from Blazer.

Blazer is expected to be interviewed by Freeh, as well as Anton Sealey, the president of the Bahamas Football Association who was first to raise the alleged bribes with Blazer

The new witnesses have come forward since Blazer warned members of the CFU earlier this week to return any money they may have been offered, or face investigation.

Bin Hammam and Warner have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation into allegations that they offered $1million (£600,000) in bribes at the CFU summit.

Officials are said to have been offered $40,000 in brown envelopes in exchange for their vote in the presidential election.

Both Bin Hammam and Warner deny any wrongdoing.

Warner has submitted a lengthy defence of his conduct, dismissing the allegations as a fabrication. His statement is accompanied by supporting statements from 13 Caribbean nations who say that the allegations are false.Those statements will also be closely scrutinised by Freeh.

Bin Hammam has appealed against his suspension and says the allegations are part of a dirty tricks campaign that prevented him from challenging Sepp Blatter in the Fifa presidential election.

Bin Hammam stood down from the election under pressure from the Emir of Qatar, who wants to avoid Fifa re-examining the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup.

The Qatar bid has been the subject of further scrutiny after Warner published an email in which Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke said the World Cup had been “bought”.

Valcke denied that he was implying corruption and Blatter said there is no case for Qatar to answer, but further revelations would make it hard to resist an investigation given the Fifa president’s commitment to “zero tolerance” this week.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/8553478/Fifas-investigation-into-bribery-allegations-against-Mohamed-Bin-Hammam-and-Jack-Warner-takes-new-twist.html

[kj52]

An interesting take from "When Saturday Comes"

http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/7298/38/

[Rivaldo]

Despite being advised otherwise by UEFA, England attempted to postpone the vote yesterday and were supported by Scotland but were resoundingly defeated 172-17. Not sure if it's the same 17, but one was Vietnam who voted wrong by mistake.

This blog post says it was 15. It would be interesting to know who those 15 were.

[Jeremy]

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2011/06/04/sports/soccer/sports-us-soccer-maradona.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Maradona: Blatter & Co. are ''dinosaurs''

[The Ref]

Maradona is an uneducated vulgar small man.

[alberta white]

Maradona is an uneducated vulgar small man.

Small yes, little NO!

A fool for his missuse of Messi, but a God when the balls was on the end of left peg. (and all that, coming from an Englishman).

[mtlfan]

Warner's thivery pays dividends for singer

http://www.transparencyinsport.org/

Edited June 5, 2011 by mtlfan

[Mapleblood]

Warner's thivery pays dividens for singer

http://www.transparencyinsport.org/

Fantastic!

[alberta white]

Warner's thivery pays dividends for singer

http://www.transparencyinsport.org/

You know, when looking at Andrew Jennings' Page. I begining to wonder if Old Jack has keys to the gates of Area 51.

[alberta white]

The CBC , finally arrive at the Psrty...

http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/shows/2011/06/05/soccer-gold-woza/

Oh yes and it appears that with the Appointment of Kissinger to the FIFA ethics commitee, we can shortly confirm that not only is Satire dead, but it has now been exhumed from the grave and transfered to Zuric for Ritualistic Zombification.

[The Ref]

That offensive CBC article must have been written by an Argentinian like Maradona. I had the misfortune to open the link and read part of it.

[alberta white]

That offensive CBC article must have been written by an Argentinian like Maradona. I had the misfortune to open the link and read part of it.

Yep I thought might you take issue with the speedy coffee comment

Edited June 6, 2011 by alberta white

[Mapleblood]

The CBC , finally arrive at the Psrty...

http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/shows/2011/06/05/soccer-gold-woza/

Oh yes and it appears that with the Appointment of Kissinger to the FIFA ethics commitee, we can shortly confirm that not only is Satire dead, but it has now been exhumed from the grave and transfered to Zuric for Ritualistic Zombification.

The interview with Declan Hill starts around 4:00 and runs to about 32:00. UEFA specifically worked with him to create an effective Integrity unit. This work lead to the investigations and arrests in Germany.

It is a must listen for anyone who is interested in the varieties of corruption in worldwide football.

[Free kick]

Maradona is an uneducated vulgar small man.

Yes. But every now and then, he comes up with something that actually makes sense. This time he states the FIFA should be run by people who have played the game. I dont agree that someone who has played the game is necessarily a better administartor or leader amongst men and women. And besides, there are plenty of people in FiFA and Uefa who have played he game and excelled (eg.: Beckenbaur, Platini).

But then he says that they don't understand the game and that part, I completely agree with him. When it comes to people like Sepp Blatter, there is tons of evidence through some of his pronouncements and stands, that he has absolutely no clue. Take that 6 plus 5 rule that he is advocating. Does he ever follow club soccer? Cause if he did, he would know that that rule would be a complete nightmare to enforce and apply. Then we have heard things from him suggesting that he has no clue about the arbitrary element of refereeing a game. This happens frequently during world cups.

[rdroze]

A lot of the time Andrew Jennings seems way out there, but lately it's looks like maybe he's just way out ahead of everyone else on figuring out this corruption thing.

An interesting read, predicting the demise of Blatter at the hands of Kissinger and the sponsors:

http://www.transparencyinsport.org/Henry_Kissinger_will_boot_out_Blatter/henry_kissinger_will_boot_out_Blatter_page1.html

[Vic]

Every time I hit that site I feel uncomfortable not wearing an aluminum foil hat.

[Mapleblood]

Kissinger joins the 'committee of the w/vise.'

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/politics&id=8174959&rss=rss-wabc-article-8174959

[Mapleblood]

Perhaps the CFU will become a little more malleable.

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=reu-fifaaustin

[Guest yanfeng]

I benefit a lot from this post

[rdroze]

"presumption of innocence" my a$$...

Jack Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam involved in bribery after Fifa finds 'comprehensive evidence'

By Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter

2:02PM BST 22 Jun 2011

Fifa’s ethics committee has ruled that there is “comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming evidence” that Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner colluded in the payment of bribes to Caribbean football officials, according to a secret report seen by Telegraph Sport.

The ethics committee’s report, which prompted a full investigation into the allegations, found there was a “compelling” prima facie case that Bin Hammam was engaged in an act of bribery, and that Warner was “an accessory to corruption”.

The revelation of the ethics committee’s findings comes two days after Warner resigned as a Fifa vice president, which prompted the governing body to drop its investigation into him and declare that "the presumption of innocence is maintained".

In fact the findings against Warner states that there is “prima facie” evidence that bribes were paid, and concludes that it is likely that Warner and Bin Hammam were involved in an attempt to buy influence ahead of the Fifa presidential election, in which the Qatari was a candidate.

It is understood that the ethics committee’s findings were sent to Mr Warner last week, three days before he resigned from all football posts.

The ethics committee findings were compiled by Namibian judge Petrus Damuseb, who based his report on a evidence prepared by US attorneys on behalf of Fifa executive committee member Chuck Blazer, and following evidence given by Warner and Bin Hammam in personal hearings at the end of May.

The allegations focus on a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union in Trinidad on May 10-11, at which it is claimed delegates from up to 25 nations were offered $40,000 in cash to vote for Bin Hammam in the presidential election.

Four nations, led by the Bahamas, offered witness statements to the Blazer inquiry stating that they were offered the money and that Warner told them that it was from Bin Hammam, and was linked to the presidential election.

Both men denied the allegations but were provisionally suspended from Fifa and a full investigation led by former FBI director Louis Freeh was launched. Both Warner and Bin Hammam are scheduled to be interviewed in Zurich as part of the investigation, perhaps before the end of the month, though Warner has said he will not speak to Freeh.

Warner, then the president of the CFU, arranged the Trinidad meeting at Bin Hammam’s request because the Qatari wanted to address delegates about his presidential campaign.

Bin Hammam claimed that he was unable to speak to them at the Concacaf congress a week earlier in Miami because of visa problems, but according to Blazer the Qatari expressly requested a separate meeting.

The ethics committee concluded that the witness statements of the Caribbean football officials and Blazer were credible. Warner’s evidence to the ethics committee is described as “self-serving” and it found that he failed to provide … a plausible” explanation as to why the witnesses would have lied.

The report states: "The comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming evidence permits to conclude prima facie that the accused [Warner] has initiated and arranged a special meeting of the CFU member associations for Mr Bin Hammam.

"Furthermore on the occasion of this meeting it seems Mr Bin Hammam offered, at least indirectly and under the pledge of secrecy, to each of the member associations an envelope containing USD 40,000.

"The FIFA ethics committee is of the primary opinion that the accused [Warner] had knowledge of the respective payments and condoned them.

"It seems quite likely that the accused [Warner] contributed himself to the relevant actions, thereby acting as an accessory to corruption."

The report adds: "The committee is also of the opinion that the respective money gifts can probably only be explained if they are associated with the FIFA presidential elections of 1 June 2011.

"Therefore it appears rather compelling to consider the actions of Mr Bin Hammam constitute prima facie an act of bribery, or at least an attempt to commit bribery.”

The report states that it was “inconceivable” that Warner “would not have known anything about the money offered to the attendees of the meeting concerned.”

"It appears prima facie impossible, in the opinion of the FIFA ethics committee, that the accused [Warner] could have considered the money distributed ... as legally or ethically proper and without any connection to the upcoming FIFA presidential election.

"Consequently, the accused [Warner] would at least be considered as an accessory to the aforementioned violations."

In a statement issued to Telegraph Sport Bin Hammam re-stated his denial of any involvement in improper conduct.

“There is nothing I can say more than I deny the allegations and insist that I have not done anything wrong during special Congress at Trinidad,” he said.

Warner had not responded to a request for comment at time of publication but earlier this week said he was convinced that he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.

“I am convinced, and I am advised by Counsel, that since my actions did not extend beyond facilitating the meeting that gave Mr Bin Hammam an opportunity to pursue his aborted bid for the FIFA presidency, I would be fully exonerated by any objective arbiter,” he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/8591788/Jack-Warner-and-Mohamed-Bin-Hammam-involved-in-bribery-after-Fifa-finds-comprehensive-evidence.html

[The Ref]

I believe that "the presumption of innocence is maintained" is not intended to be kind to Warner but it is more to maintain a clean sheet for FIFA as they can say none of their members were expelled or jailed.

[alberta white]

To any new joining this thread. In order to get a handle on whats going on, the following light reading may help.

George Orwell's 1984,

Franz Kaka's the Trial,

and The Long Dark Tea Time of the soul by Dougals Adams. Its got absolutley nothing to do with football but hey, what actually has on this tread?

A copy of Willianm Goulding's Lord of the Flies, might no go amiss either.

Edited June 22, 2011 by alberta white

[alberta white]

I believe that "the presumption of innocence is maintained" is not intended to be kind to Warner but it is more to maintain a clean sheet for FIFA as they can say none of their members were expelled or jailed.

So with all this "NEW SPEAK" flying around is anyone actually suprised that FIFA's written assertian to the Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh FAs that they will not lose their independence, if they partake in a GB/NI olympic squad, is been considered as not worth the paper its printed on?

Besides, who'd want to play on the same team as a useless bunch of Paddys, Taff and Jocks anyway? :D

(That a British Isle Joke by the way).

[ag futbol]

Tough times for Jack's discount travel:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/trinidad-opposition-urges-government-to-fire-jack-warner/article2071856/

[jpg75]

Tough times for Jack's discount travel

I doubt it, Simpaul Travel raked in a cool $350K in travel bookings from that CFU bribe-o-rama in Port-of-Spain!