FIFA bribery investigation

FIFA bribery investigation
AP Photo/Shirley Bahadur

Suspended FIFA vice-president Austin “Jack” Warner says he has no plans to meet investigators probing bribery allegations.

Warner, who is minister of Works and Transport in the Trinidad and Tobago government, said he has not received any summons asking him to speak with the investigators “nor do I plan to do so.”

FIFA has agreed to move the venue of the interview with those Caribbean Union Football (CFU) delegates who refused to travel to Miami but Warner will not be among those quizzed by investigators.

Warner is alleged with fellow FIFA member Mohamed Bin Hammam to have paid bribes totaling US$1 million to Caribbean associations.

Up to 18 of the 25 CFU associations alleged to have been paid or offered bribes of US$40,000 each refused FIFA’s call to go to Miami to provide evidence.

They also called for FIFA to replace ex-FBI director Louis Freeh as lead investigator.

Reports are that FIFA has agreed to a new venue for the interviews and said that they were prepared to co-operate with any “independent and unbiased” investigation.

The CFU has suggested Barbados and Trinidad as options for a different venue to Miami but it is believed FIFA would choose an island elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Warner and Hammam have been suspended pending the investigation into allegations they paid bribes at a meeting of CFU officials in Trinidad on May 10-11. They have denied any wrongdoing.