Warner sued

In a story on the Associated Press (AP) yesterday, CONCACAF have accused Warner (who served as CONCACAF president from 1990- 2011) and Blazer (who was CONCACAF’s general secretary during Warner’s tenure), “of making a fortune through embezzlement....

allegations that mirror those in a (sprawling) United States criminal investigation that has resulted in charges against several top football officials.” The lawsuit seeks compensation in the sum of US$20 million.

This is another stain in Warner’s reputation as a leading football administrator, who have been embroiled in the 2011 cash-for-votes scandal __ which saw him resign as CONCACAF and CFU (Caribbean Football Union) boss; the Haiti earthquake funds saga; the CONCACAF Integrity Committee report of 2013 which saw him and Blazer accused of mismanagement and massive fraud; and the FIFA corruption scandal of 2015 with Warner indicted by the US Department of Justice for wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

The 73-year-old Warner and 71-year-old Blazer, were accused by CONCACAF of negotiating bribes and kickbacks in connection with lucrative broadcasting rights for tournaments including CONCACAF’s Gold Cup championship.

CONCACAF is seeking US$20 million in compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages.

“There can be no doubt that Warner and Blazer victimised CONCACAF, stealing and defrauding it out of tens of millions of dollars in brazen acts of corruption for their own personal benefit at the expense of the entire CONCACAF region,” the suit stated.

The story noted that Blazer have pleaded guilty and cooperated in the criminal probe while Warner has been fighting extradition since the 2015 FIFA scandal.