Reply With QuoteI 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.
"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/foo...-evidence.html
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.
"Charmaine Hooper... the best player ever"
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.
Last edited by alberta white; 06-22-2011 at 01:49 PM.
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?Originally Posted by The Ref
Besides, who'd want to play on the same team as a useless bunch of Paddys, Taff and Jocks anyway?
(That a British Isle Joke by the way).
Tough times for Jack's discount travel:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...rticle2071856/
I doubt it, Simpaul Travel raked in a cool $350K in travel bookings from that CFU bribe-o-rama in Port-of-Spain!
"We are back bitches" - Adolf Hitler.
Fifa accuses Bin Hammam of attempting to bribe
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13878161.stm
A Fifa report seen by the Press Association says there is evidence that Mohamed bin Hammam used bribery during his presidential campaign.
The ethics committee also stated that former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner was "an accessory to corruption".
Warner resigned from his role on Monday and quit all football activities.
As a result, football's governing body dropped all investigations into Warner, adding that "the presumption of innocence is maintained".
However, the full report of the ethics committee headed by Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb said there was "comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming" proof that bribes had been paid to officials to support Bin Hammam's campaign for the Fifa presidency, and that Warner had facilitated this.
SIDEBAR: I believe Jack Warner should be made to answer these charges - it's not enough just for him to resign
Tory MP Damian Collins
Both 68-year-old Warner, from Trinidad and Tobago, and Qatar's Bin Hammam, 62, were provisionally suspended on 29 May.
Bin Hammam withdrew as a candidate in the Fifa presidential race against Sepp Blatter on the morning of his ethics committee hearing on 29 May. Both Bin Hammam and Warner deny the allegations.
The 17-page Fifa report was faxed to Warner on 14 June. Three days later, he informed Fifa he was quitting.
The report obtained by the Press Association concludes that there was "compelling" evidence that Bin Hammam and Warner arranged a special meeting of the 25 members of the Caribbean Football Union [CFU] on 10 and 11 May in Trinidad and that, with their knowledge, cash gifts were handed over.
Statements from witnesses, contained in the report, said they were handed brown envelopes each containing 40,000 US dollars. One of the witnesses, Fred Lunn from the Bahamas, photographed the cash before returning it.
The document also stated that four witnesses claimed that Warner told the CFU delegates on 11 May that the "money for the 'gifts' allegedly distributed the day before had been apparently provided by Mr Bin Hammam".
Warner's evidence to the 29 May hearing is described as "mere self-serving declarations" and that he "failed to provide the Fifa ethics committee with a plausible explanation".
Bin Hammam said in a statement: "There is nothing I can say more than I deny the allegations and insist that I have not done anything wrong during the special Congress at Trinidad."
Damian Collins, the Tory MP who is campaigning for a reform of Fifa, believes the case against Warner should be re-opened.
"This makes Fifa's claim that Warner can be presumed innocent absolutely incredible," he said. "I believe Jack Warner should be made to answer these charges - it's not enough just for him to resign.
"This shows it was a big error of judgement by Sepp Blatter to call off the inquiry and cover this up.
"Fifa should also confirm Mohamed Bin Hammam should not similarly be allowed to resign in return for having the investigation dropped."
Well now, here's a shock....
Qatar 2022 'whistleblower' in corruption U-turn
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14098944.stm
Upon reflection does this suprise any of us, or furthermore, visit upon any us the urge to clamor for the Re-insitgation of Happy Jack, Mr Haman, and uncle tom cobbley and all?
Last edited by alberta white; 07-10-2011 at 06:19 PM.
I will be surprised if I don't hear at some point in the future a headline along the lines of, "Former Qatar Bid Official Dies in Car Accident". However, maybe this recantation was just enough to avoid such an "accident".
LOL. You know, in Winnipeg we have a saying for just such occurrences. It goes something like this.
Whatever.
You could throw in a "Uh huh." prefix if so inclined, just to emphasize disbelief while also being completely dismissive.
Seriously? FIFA's Old Boy Network doesn't realize what's going on? Where things are going whether they like it or not? Could they be THAT stupid?
If the WC Finals are ever played in Qatar I'll eat my hat.
For it's a grand old team to play for.
May 25th, 1967
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