Thaindian News

Port of Spain, July 26 (IANS/CMC) Former FIFA strongman Austin “Jack” Warner has warned of more fallout from the cash-for-votes scandal which has engulfed the international football fraternity and left a dark cloud over the Caribbean game.

Warner, who last month unexpectedly resigned as FIFA vice president and head of CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union amidst corruption allegations, said there was more to come on the issue even though former Asian football head Mohamed Bin Hammam had been slapped with a life ban from the sport.

“This whole scenario hasn’t played out as yet, it is not even half-way there and in the fullness of time you will see. You will see everything,” a combative Warner told reporters here.

“In FIFA and in CONCACAF and in those positions, everything is timing. There is a time to speak and a time to stay quiet and right now is a time to stay quiet. In the fullness of time it shall be revealed.”

Bin Hammam and Warner were both suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee after being accused of offering CFU members $40,000 cash inducements at a meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in May, ahead of the June 1 FIFA presidential election where Bin Hammam was a candidate.

In the face of the bribery allegations, Warner had warned of a “football tsunami” which never came, and his sudden resignation resulted in FIFA dropping all charges and discontinuing its investigations.

Bin Hammam, however, opted to fight the charges and was last Saturday banned for life after being found guilty of bribery, following an investigation conducted by former FBI chief Louis Freeh.

Warner, a government minister here, was also critical of the ethics committee’s verdict.

“If people believe that Bin Hammam deserves what the ethics committee have given him, then I tell you, I have news for them, you haven’t heard the last of this mess,” he reiterated.

“Everybody in this country is a FIFA expert. This country has one FIFA expert - me! And I say that unashamedly. I say wait and see.”

–IANS/CMC
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