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#11022 - 04/05/02 04:57 PM

FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation by US

gigo
Member

Registered: 02/16/01
Posts: 1917

Offline

Daily Mail, London, Thursday April 4, 2002. Page 91

Americans probe Blatter henchman over 'bogus' visa

EXCLUSIVE
By Andrew Jennings
FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation by the United
States government for alleged
involvement in visa racketeering.

Warner, a staunch ally of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, has become embroiled
in the recent controversy over alleged corruption and financial
mismanagement. He is now expected to be interviewed by special agents from
the U.S. Immigration Service about a false invitation he supplied to help a
fellow Caribbean football official gain entry
to the States.

FIFA officials are furious at the
possibility that Warner abused his position to do favours to buy power and
influence in Caribbean football, and will demand that Blatter apologise to
the American government and take strong action against his Trinidadian
henchman.

Last week Sportsmail handed U.S. officials a dossier containing the letter
Warner wrote on June 14, 1999, to enable Colin Aaron from Guyana to obtain
a U.S. visa.

Warner gave Aaron the letter at the end of a regional tournament in
Trinidad, where he had been a match official.

The CONCACAF president wrote: 'I wish to congratulate you on your
outstanding performance during the recently concluded Copa Caribe 99
Championship. I am pleased to inform you that you have been appointed to
officiate at the FIFA Women's World Cup '99, which will be held in the
United States of America from June 19 to July 10, 1999.'

Aaron took the letter to the U.S. embassy in Guyana and was granted a visa.

Immigration officials seemed unaware that FIFA had ruled six months earlier
that all match officials at the Women's World Cup would be women, rendering
Aaron ineligible by virtue of his gender.

Sportsmail has since been told that his name
did not appear on any list of match officials.

Turkey's Senes Erzik, head of FIFA's referees' committee, told Sportsmail
last night: 'It was exclusively FIFA
female referees at the Women's World Cup. This was proposed by the
referees' committee and unanimously agreed. FIFA's executive committee
endorsed this decision - so Mr Warner must have known.'

In any event, Warner was deliberately exaggerating Aaron's competence. He
is only an assistant referee and worked as a linesman, never controlling
any of the Copa Caribe games.

It is hard to see why
Warner would praise Aaron's
'outstanding performance', except to influence
immigration officials.

The American investigators are concerned that the
flaws in the letter were not spotted at their embassy in Guyana. They fear
that, at a time of increased vigilance for terrorist suspects, there could
be a corrupt official in the Guyana embassy endorsing false visa
applications.

Sportsmail has passed the name of a possible suspect to U.S. investigators.

An alert visa official should have spotted that this letter of appointment
was dated only five days before one of the biggest competitions in world
soccer.

It did not ask Aaron to confirm that he could immediately abandon
work and family commitments, and rush off to spend nearly a month in Los
Angeles. There was no information about how FIFA would arrange his flight
tickets.

A cursory check with FIFA would have revealed that all the prospective
female officials had been notified two months beforehand and brought to Los
Angeles three days before the tournament after being tested for skills and
fitness.

In the letter, Warner told Aaron that he would be staying at the Century
Plaza Hotel. In fact, only senior FIFA officials, such as Warner, stayed
there. Match officials went elsewhere.

The women's tournament was controlled by FIFA, not CONCACAF. Warner had no
role in selecting or notifying match officials. That was done by the FIFA
committee chaired by Erzik, who added:
'The letters notifying the female officials were written by FIFA general
secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen. They were not sent directly to the
individual officials but went to the official's national association and
were copied to their confederations.

'The formal letter of invitation sent by the general secretary
congratulated them on their appointment, gave them information on how to
obtain visas for America and how to get their tickets arranged by the FIFA
office in Zurich. I find it incredible that Mr Warner could do this. When I
have the evidence in my hands I will raise it at the executive committee.'

It is believed that Aaron used the visa to visit friends in New York.
Yesterday he insisted that he had been at the women's tournament, but as an
'observer'.
An American diplomat told Sportsmail: 'As result of your dossier, we are
launching an investigation into the visa department of our Guyana embassy.
'Mr Warner may be stopped for questioning when he
enters Miami for the CONCACAF congress (on April 20) and could be deported
back to Trinidad. He may also be asked to come to the Trinidad embassy for
questioning.'

The scandal may well jeopardise future visa applications from
any officials or players from the
CONCACAF region.
Indeed,
Warner, and the federation itself, could be blacklisted.

CONCACAF has its headquarters in New York and the
organisation would be hampered if its president was banned from entering
the U.S.

Women's soccer will be outraged at this cynical abuse of their game. But
they are powerless to take action. In his election campaign four years ago,
Blatter promised to make room for a woman member on his executive
committee. Like many of his other pledges, it has been reneged on.

Warner's arrogance in writing the letter
underlines that he believes himself untouchable. He knows that
while he can deliver the 35-strong block of votes that Blatter depends on
if he is to be re-elected at FIFA's congress in May, he can do as he
pleases.

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#11023 - 04/05/02 06:39 PM

Re: FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation by US

zouse
Member

Registered: 10/11/00
Posts: 2149
Loc: Jamaica

Offline

Blurtnaught, it look like Jack dead now!!

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#11024 - 04/05/02 11:35 PM

Re: FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation by US

gigo
Member

Registered: 02/16/01
Posts: 1917

Offline

yow p
hurry up and line up the tape them
so me can leggo the rest
how come nobody nuh rush the post yet

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#11025 - 04/06/02 09:09 AM

Re: FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation by US

spur73
Member

Registered: 03/21/01
Posts: 67
Loc: Montego Bay

Offline

Where is truetrini? Any comments?

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#11026 - 04/06/02 10:16 AM

Re: FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation by US

Princess
Moderator

Registered: 08/27/01
Posts: 7107
Loc: St. Cloud, FL

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Just out of curiousity, if Jack should fall off the beanstalk, is there anyone ready to fill the position? What/Who is the make-up of the other members on the executive team? Anyone with the required qualifications (read track record) to LEAD the region? And the same for our own governing body, the JFF? I met one or two of the 4th & 5th string henchmen, I cringe to think they could be running the show in the near future.

_________________________
Osceolans for KK/McCain/Palin 2008/Hill 2012/Palin 2020
Guns don't kill people, people kill people

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#11027 - 04/06/02 06:13 PM

Re: FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation by US

jah b_dup1
Junior Member

Registered: 02/16/01
Posts: 0

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Very,very important questions Princess. The next Jack might very well be Burrell. I guess jack was bound to fall off of the beanstalk

Good one Princess.

Peace

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#11028 - 04/07/02 02:35 PM

Re: FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation by US

scallawah1
Junior Member

Registered: 09/21/05
Posts: 10
Loc: MO

Offline

This is not in any way a surprise. Jack reportedly 'owns' a mansion in Miami that is supposed to be for when the trini team visits the states. But it seems that his son is a member of trini team and he has sought assylum in Miami. The house is equipped with the latest gadjets and even has a security gaurd at the gate. This could just be a rumor, but behind every rumor, there is an ounce of truth.

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