Jack Warner Escapes Again Print
Written by Derek Lee-Wo   
Friday, 08 December 2006 02:37

So Jack Warner didn't break any FIFA rules, but it was OK for his son to sell thousands of World Cup tickets on the black market.  Riiiggggghhhhttttt....wink, wink.

 

Unbelievable!!!!

 

Original article published by the Trinidad Guardian on December 7, 2006

The Fifa disciplinary committee recommended yesterday that no action be taken against vice president Jack Warner over allegations that he illegally sold thousands of tickets during the World Cup.

Marcel Mathier, who headed the committee’s examination, said there was no evidence that Warner infringed Fifa rules during the tournament in Germany.

He recommended that world soccer’s governing body express its disapproval of Warner, but said the case should now be closed.

According to British media reports in September, Warner was involved in the sale of thousands of World Cup tickets on the black market, including to 900 England fans.

The Daily Mail reported it had obtained confidential reports produced by auditors Ernst & Young for Fifa revealing that Warner made at least US$933,000 (euro736,100) selling World Cup tickets.

“It could not be evidenced that Mr Jack Warner had knowledge of the resale of these tickets at a higher price,” Mathier said.

“The resale is certainly forbidden, but the person who did the reselling is not subject to the Fifa jurisdiction, because it is the son of Jack Warner.”

Mathier said Fifa was unable to sanction Warner’s son, Daryan, because he was employed outside the Fifa family.

Daryan allegedly sold the tickets through the T&T travel agency Simpaul, which was owned by Warner’s family.

Despite a lack of evidence of wrongdoing, Mathier recommended that Warner be scolded.

“Subjectively speaking, one could ask oneself whether Jack Warner did not have any knowledge of the activity of his son in relation to ticketing,” Mathier said.

The Fifa executive committee adopted the recommendations and said Warner should ensure that his son in the future “does not abuse the position held by his father.”

In September, Fifa president Sepp Blatter confirmed that the governing body had been notified of the ticket sales by Ernst & Young months earlier but had sought to deal with the case internally. He sent the case to the 19-member disciplinary body only after the media reports surfaced.

“Mr Warner has accepted the report which has been presented and the unanimous decision of the executive committee without any comment,” Blatter said.

Another senior Fifa official, executive committee member Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana, was sent home from the World Cup in Germany for selling tickets.

The 62-year-old Bhamjee sold 12 tickets for England’s match against T&T for US$380 (euro300) each. The tickets had a face value of US$127 (euro100) apiece.

 

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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 October 2007 17:06 )