FIFA questioned on strange dealings by Jack Warner

Research carried out by journalist Lasana Liburd of the Trinidad Express shows that

• In August 1999 the government in Trinidad and Tobago approved a budget of 140 million TT dollars for building four new stadiums and renovating the national stadium. Cabinet minutes show that the project manager was FIFA.
  
  
• There were complaints locally about giving state funds to an organisation like FIFA without tender and the government rescinded its budget for the tournament.
  
  
• In October 1999, Jack Warner and a group of other people formed a company called Concacaf. This Concacaf sounds exactly like but is different from FIFA’s regional confederation, CONCACAF, of which Jack Warner is president.
  
  
• In December 1999, Concacaf borrowed money from a consortium of banks and insurance companies to finance the stadiums. The government signed a letter of guarantee.
  
  
• The total budget for the construction and renovation rose from 140 million TT dollars to 365 million TT dollars.
  
  
• The government is still repaying the loan with 4 million TT dollars a month.
  
  
• The Trinidad and Tobago government paid 6 million TT dollars to Concacaf for advice on the construction project.
  
  
• Concacaf’s subcontractors have later complained about being asked to pay two and half per cent of their contracts for the “development of the Trinidad and Tobago football team.” The request came with a menace. Contractors were told in writing that they would not get contracts in the future if they failed to comply.

The Trinidad Express has now asked FIFA to explain how much it knew about the details of this scheme and whether it complies with FIFA’s ethical rules. In particular, the newspaper is interested in finding out if:

• FIFA knew it was originally awarded a contract by the Trinidad and Tobago government as project manager?
  
  
• FIFA is aware of the mirror company Concacaf which has been collecting taxpayers’ money on the premise that it was linked to FIFA?
  
  
• FIFA is aware that the local government paid Concacaf 6 million TT dollars in fees for consultancy on the construction project?
  
  
• FIFA is aware that its vice president Jack Warner pressured construction companies to pay money to the T&T Football Federation

So far the newspaper has not received a reply from FIFA. On 16-17 March the FIFA Executive will meet to determine what should happen to Jack Warner after he was found guilty last month of having breached FIFA’s Code of Ethics and Fair Play because of his involvement with a travel agency that sells tickets to the World Cup in Germany. See earlier article: FIFA to punish Warner for violating Code of Ethics