Leader of 72 years is accused of having received bribes for influnciar the choices of the seats of World Cups
Jack Warner spent 28 years on the Executive Committee of FIFA (Press Release / FIFA / Getty / SEE)
The Trinidadian Jack Warner, former vice-president of FIFA, former president of CONCACAF and one of the most influential sports officials in the last 30 years, was banned for life from any football-related activity, it announced the FIFA Ethics Committee on Tuesday. In a statement, world football body indicates that the 72-year leader "committed several offenses steadily and repeated during the performance of various management positions and influence in FIFA and CONCACAF."
Warner was found guilty of violating six articles of the FIFA Ethics Code, including those relating to general rules of conduct, loyalty principles, obligation to report, cooperate and accountability, conflict of interest, acceptance and offering of gifts and other benefits as well as bribery and corruption.
The lifetime suspension Warner was determined by body chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert as a result of investigation by the commission on the process of choosing the headquarters of the World Cup 2018 and 2022, won by Russia and Qatar respectively. In recent decades, Warner was flattered by different governments and applications, as held in his hands all the votes of CONCACAF, with more than 35 countries. The leader was also accused by the FBI of having received bribes to vote in defining the headquarters of the World Cup in 1998 and 2010.
Warner voluntarily resigned from all his positions in football in 2011, so FIFA closed the procedures then opened by the Ethics Committee and kept his presumption of innocence. The former president of CONCACAF is accused of corruption for acts committed between 1990 and 2011, within an investigation by the US Justice Department.
The Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago reached authorize the extradition of Warner in the US Monday, but lawyers of former president of CONCACAF appealed the decision. A hearing was scheduled for December 2 to assess the case. The Trinidadian was the second former leader of the banned soccer FIFA, after the American Chuck Blazer, the FBI informant.
Extradition - The Swiss Federal Court on Tuesday approved the extradition to the United States of Eduardo Li, former chairman of the Football Federation of Costa Rica. He was arrested in Zurich together with other six top hats FIFA accused of corruption, including the former president of the CBF José Maria Marin, 27 May.
Li has 30 days to appeal the Swiss decision. This is the fourth extradition approved by the Swiss: Jeffrey Webb, former president of CONCACAF, accepted voluntarily be extradited to the United States and escaped from prison on bail; Eugenio Figueredo, former president of Conmebol, and Rafael Esquivel, president of the Venezuelan Federation had approved the extradition requests and even assess whether enter using. The Brazilian Marin is still awaiting a decision on his case.
(With agencies EFE and Estadão Content)
