Warner threatens legal action against Trinidad and Tobago online newspaper
Jack Warner meets victims from the Haiti earthquake. Photo: CONCACAF press office
28.02.2012
By Play the GameThe local Trinidad and Tobago online newspaper Wired868.com is being threatened with a lawsuit by ex-FIFA Vice President Jack Warner for defamation and libel in connection with an article about misappropriation of Haiti aid funds published by Wired868.com this month.
The article in question claims that out of US$750,000 in emergency aid for Haiti collected by Jack Warner in his capacity as CONCACAF President, only US$60.000 made it to the Haiti Football Association. Warner argues that the article caused him "serious distress and embarrassment" which prompted the legal action.
Wired868.com responded to Warner’s legal threat on its website yesterday. Here, editor Lasana Liburd wonders why the legal document was published on the state-owned television station CTV and republished on several online forums before even reaching Wired868 – especially since defamation suits traditionally aim to block the reproduction of the harmful statements. “In this case, Warner himself ensured that the supposedly distressing allegations would be rebroadcast by having the letter sent to CTV,” writes Wired868.com.
Had Warner been so concerned with his reputation, he might not have encouraged segments of the article to be republished, argues wired868.com, and he might also have demanded an apology from the UK Sunday Times, FIFA and Federation of Haitian Football (FHF) President Dr Yves Jean-Bart, who are mentioned in the letter from Warner’s attorney as the sources of the defamatory information presented in the article.
Read the entire reply from wired868.com here
http://wired868.com/868/index.php/volley/item/104-warners-questionable-lawsuit
- FIFA issued a statement saying that they forwarded US$750,000 to Warner for Haiti relief
- The T&T Federation says they have a record of the money being deposited in an account which only Warner had access to.
- The President of the Haitian Federation says they only received US$60,000
- FIFA has suspended all payments to T&T until the matter is resolved.
These unarguable facts are the only things Liburd wrote. There were no other accusations of any kind.
Warner simply has no case whatsoever. It's all just an attempt at bullying a young reporter into shutting up.