Jack Warner in hot water again

Trinidadian Austin “Jack” Warner, once strong man of Caribbean and world Football, is again under the microscope over allegations of irregularities.{{more}}

The latest in the recent string of accusations, is a probe into funds that were allegedly sent by FIFA to Haiti, following the 2010 earthquake there, which caused extensive damage.

Last Friday, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation issued a statement saying that it plans to sue former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner to recover the funds, including those slated for Haiti as a post-earthquake donation.

The TTFF’s Attorney Derek Ali told a judge Friday that he planned to file a lawsuit and accused Warner of not releasing the audited accounts as promised.

High Court Judge Devindra Rampersad ordered Ali to send Warner a protocol letter, advising him of the Federation’s intentions.

The embattled TTFF had also acknowledged it had surrendered its authority to Warner, who served as the Federation’s Special Adviser, but had resigned last year to avoid a bribery probe.

After the scandal that rocked the world, Warner then promised to churn up a tsunami, by exposing some of the ills and inner workings of FIFA.

Last year, Warner was ordered by FIFA’s Ethics Committee to answer charges of facilitating a meeting with then presidential candidate, Mohammed bin Hammam and Caribbean Football Union officials on May 10 and 11 in Trinidad and Tobago, in which US$40,000 gifts were presented and accepted by some, in a cash for vote scandal.

The subsequent probe resulted in several CFU officials receiving bans, fines, reprimands, while others voluntarily resigned from their posts, hence, escaping hearing by the Ethics Committee.

In relation to the TTFF, it was two weeks ago that some disgruntled players from the T & T 2006 World Cup team assisted by a court appointed marshal and police swooped down on the TTFF’s Office, seizing its assets.

This was in direct response to a direct court order, which demanded the TTFF to PAY out TT$4.6 million (US$724,000) to 13 members of the national team which carried Trinidad and Tobago to the World Cup finals for the first time in Germany.

Warner, who is a government minister, was asked by the court to provide the financial details of the income relating to the 2006 World Cup.