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| T&T's Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner at work in his office in Trinidad |
Warner resigned from FIFA last Friday and the world football body made the official announcement on Monday, indicating that all charges against the former FIFA Vice President have been dropped and that presumption of innocence in Warner's case reamins.
However, on Wednesday some media reported that a document purporting to be from FIFA had implicated the Trinidad and Tobago senior cabinet minister.
In his response, Warner stated:
"It has come to my attention that an anonymous source has circulated a document dated June 17 purporting to be the FIFA's Ethics Committee "decision" into its ongoing investigation of alleged bid-rigging in the run up to the recent FIFA presidential election, to selected international media.
"It is my information that the purported "decision" document was not released by FIFA; nor was its circulation authorized by FIFA.
"As far as I have been able to establish, the FIFA Ethics Committee report which is being scurrilously circulated summarizes the considerations on which the FIFA Ethics Committee decided on suspensions and a full hearing involving the subjects of the allegations on bid rigging.
"It is instructive to note that the investigation into these allegations is still ongoing and therefore any suggestion that the report being circulated is the final conclusion of the FIFA Ethics Committee is both misleading and false.
In accordance with due process, the Secretariat of the FIFA Ethics Committee dispatched four copies of the conclusions of the preliminary investigation, which took place on May 29th, into FIFA bid-rigging allegations directly to me
"I am advised that one copy was sent to me by fax (which copy I am yet to receive), one by courier, DHL, one to my lawyer, with the fourth, being sent to me in care of CONCACAF office in New York.
"The copies sent to me and my attorney could not possibly have been accessed by any scurrilous party bent on the malice manifestly intended in the anonymous leaks to the media in an investigation that is still ongoing.
"I have absolutely no doubt that this development is part of an ongoing agenda to destroy the cohesion which has made the Caribbean Football Union a factor to be reckoned with in FIFA affairs; and thus diminish CFU's significance in various areas of FIFA decision making.
"Yesterday (Tuesday), in announcing my self determined resignation from the positions I held in world football, FIFA confirmed that its Ethics Committee procedures of which I was a subject had been discontinued.
"In its statement, FIFA took pains to emphasize that the presumption of my innocence is maintained.
"It is now evident that are those in a section of the FIFA fraternity who, in the face of FIFA's stated position and its voluntary recognition of my contribution to world football and by definition to FIFA, will stop at no length to destroy my legacy and destabilize the Caribbean region whose interests I have always vigorously advocated.
"Despite the attacks of division neither the Caribbean nor I will allow all that we stand for to be destroyed.
"I expect that these vicious attacks will continue, however I will once again reiterate for the sake of those with hidden agendas I, Jack Warner, did not partake in the distribution of any cash gifts to my members.
"I hope for the good of the game that good sense will prevail or at least I live in hope."
"It is my information that the purported "decision" document was not released by FIFA; nor was its circulation authorized by FIFA.
"As far as I have been able to establish, the FIFA Ethics Committee report which is being scurrilously circulated summarizes the considerations on which the FIFA Ethics Committee decided on suspensions and a full hearing involving the subjects of the allegations on bid rigging.
"It is instructive to note that the investigation into these allegations is still ongoing and therefore any suggestion that the report being circulated is the final conclusion of the FIFA Ethics Committee is both misleading and false.
In accordance with due process, the Secretariat of the FIFA Ethics Committee dispatched four copies of the conclusions of the preliminary investigation, which took place on May 29th, into FIFA bid-rigging allegations directly to me
"I am advised that one copy was sent to me by fax (which copy I am yet to receive), one by courier, DHL, one to my lawyer, with the fourth, being sent to me in care of CONCACAF office in New York.
"The copies sent to me and my attorney could not possibly have been accessed by any scurrilous party bent on the malice manifestly intended in the anonymous leaks to the media in an investigation that is still ongoing.
"I have absolutely no doubt that this development is part of an ongoing agenda to destroy the cohesion which has made the Caribbean Football Union a factor to be reckoned with in FIFA affairs; and thus diminish CFU's significance in various areas of FIFA decision making.
"Yesterday (Tuesday), in announcing my self determined resignation from the positions I held in world football, FIFA confirmed that its Ethics Committee procedures of which I was a subject had been discontinued.
"In its statement, FIFA took pains to emphasize that the presumption of my innocence is maintained.
"It is now evident that are those in a section of the FIFA fraternity who, in the face of FIFA's stated position and its voluntary recognition of my contribution to world football and by definition to FIFA, will stop at no length to destroy my legacy and destabilize the Caribbean region whose interests I have always vigorously advocated.
"Despite the attacks of division neither the Caribbean nor I will allow all that we stand for to be destroyed.
"I expect that these vicious attacks will continue, however I will once again reiterate for the sake of those with hidden agendas I, Jack Warner, did not partake in the distribution of any cash gifts to my members.
"I hope for the good of the game that good sense will prevail or at least I live in hope."
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