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Burrell distances JFF, CFU from bribery allegations
Captain in defence
Friday, June 03, 2011
CAPTAIN Horace Burrell has defended the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), deflecting suggestions of guilt in the bribery scandal which has rocked the foundations of FIFA during a stormy presidential election campaign.
Burrell, president of the JFF and acting president of the CFU in the absence of the suspended Jack Warner, was on the offensive as he sought to discredit what he called "disparaging remarks" made by chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), Edward Seaga, about the supposed role of the CFU membership in the alleged corruption.
BURRELL... act of corruption has shamed the reputation of football
In a press release circulated on Wednesday — the day Sepp Blatter was re-elected (186 votes of 208) unopposed for another four-year term as FIFA president — Seaga was quoted as saying:
"This act of corruption involves the reputation of the Caribbean football federations and has shamed the reputation of football much to the great sorrow of lovers of the game and other well-thinking people."
The former Jamaica prime minister was responding to damning allegations that member associations of the CFU had each taken bribes of US$40,000 (J$3.4 million) from former FIFA presidential hopeful Mohamed bin Hammam to vote in the Qatari's favour at the highly-controversial June 1 poll in Zurich, Switzerland.
"The central point of the 'ginnalship' which has been taking place in the CONCACAF region, which includes the Caribbean Football Union, is that forty thousand US Dollars (US$40,000) was given to each of the delegates representing Caribbean football federations as a bribe to vote for Mohammed Bin Hammam, ex-candidate for the position president of FIFA in the election," the release further quoted Seaga as saying.
While there is no concrete evidence to substantiate the allegations of the payment of these sums, said to have taken place at a CFU pre-election campaign meeting with the wealthy bin Hammam and facilitated by Warner at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Trinidad, the PLCA chairman's comments were more matter-of-factly.
"To restore the integrity of the region, the present leaders of the Caribbean Football Union must call on all the federations which received and kept the forty thousand US Dollars (US$40,000) bribe to return it forthwith or face public disclosure of the identity of these Caribbean federations which are corrupt by holding the integrity of the region to ransom," said Seaga, who also chairs the Professional Football Association of Jamaica (PFAJ).
Angered by the tone of the PLCA/PFAJ boss, Burrell, who was in Zurich for the 61st FIFA Voting Congress and could not be reached for a comment earlier, yesterday said "the damaging" remarks had cast guilt on the CFU even as the matter was still being investigated by FIFA".
"The statement appears to have tried, found guilty and pronounced sentence on an entire region's football associations, despite the fact that the competent authority to adjudicate these matters has come to no such conclusion.
"In fact, FIFA's Ethics Committee is currently considering the matter and we await the final outcome of its investigation and due process," Burrell noted.
"Let me state categorically that the JFF was not offered, neither received, any funds prior to, during or after the referenced CFU meeting held May 10-11 in Trinidad," the acting CFU head stated.
Meanwhile, at press time last night Seaga, in another release, said his earlier comments achieved part of its objective, which was to get the JFF to break its silence on the burning issue.
"This revelation was the purpose of my press release in which I called for a disclosure by the JFF.
"It has enlightened the public on the role of the JFF where there was darkness before, justifying the enquiry from the PLCA. We are left to wonder if this disclosure of innocence would have been made, had not the PLCA called on the JFF to be transparent.
"Other CFU members should now follow the step of the JFF so as to fully clear the air of suspicions," the release said.
Both Warner and bin Hammam have appeared before FIFA's Ethics Committee in relation to the matter, with both being temporarily suspended from all football activities until a full inquiry into the bribery allegations against them are completed by the sport's world governing body.
In a sensational anti-climax, bin Hammam subsequently withdrew from the presidential race.
Two CFU officials — Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester — have also been suspended from activities connected with the game pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations.
While Blatter was cleared of claims that he also offered delegates incentives to support his bid for re-election and that he had knowledge of the bin Hammam gesture, FIFA's ethics committee said it was satisfied there was a case for the suspended four to answer, but stressed, "they were regarded as innocent until proven guilty".
Burrell said that "despite this public knowledge", Seaga pointed "an accusing finger", which the JFF boss deemed intemperate and damaging, to say the least.
"He has inexplicably sought to tarnish the reputations of at least 30 member associations of the CFU with what can only be described as reckless, unproven allegations of 'ginnalship' and 'acts of corruption'," noted Burrell, who is also a member of CONCACAF's Executive Committee.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1OD727SAp
Captain in defence
Friday, June 03, 2011
CAPTAIN Horace Burrell has defended the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), deflecting suggestions of guilt in the bribery scandal which has rocked the foundations of FIFA during a stormy presidential election campaign.
Burrell, president of the JFF and acting president of the CFU in the absence of the suspended Jack Warner, was on the offensive as he sought to discredit what he called "disparaging remarks" made by chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), Edward Seaga, about the supposed role of the CFU membership in the alleged corruption.
BURRELL... act of corruption has shamed the reputation of football
In a press release circulated on Wednesday — the day Sepp Blatter was re-elected (186 votes of 208) unopposed for another four-year term as FIFA president — Seaga was quoted as saying:
"This act of corruption involves the reputation of the Caribbean football federations and has shamed the reputation of football much to the great sorrow of lovers of the game and other well-thinking people."
The former Jamaica prime minister was responding to damning allegations that member associations of the CFU had each taken bribes of US$40,000 (J$3.4 million) from former FIFA presidential hopeful Mohamed bin Hammam to vote in the Qatari's favour at the highly-controversial June 1 poll in Zurich, Switzerland.
"The central point of the 'ginnalship' which has been taking place in the CONCACAF region, which includes the Caribbean Football Union, is that forty thousand US Dollars (US$40,000) was given to each of the delegates representing Caribbean football federations as a bribe to vote for Mohammed Bin Hammam, ex-candidate for the position president of FIFA in the election," the release further quoted Seaga as saying.
While there is no concrete evidence to substantiate the allegations of the payment of these sums, said to have taken place at a CFU pre-election campaign meeting with the wealthy bin Hammam and facilitated by Warner at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Trinidad, the PLCA chairman's comments were more matter-of-factly.
"To restore the integrity of the region, the present leaders of the Caribbean Football Union must call on all the federations which received and kept the forty thousand US Dollars (US$40,000) bribe to return it forthwith or face public disclosure of the identity of these Caribbean federations which are corrupt by holding the integrity of the region to ransom," said Seaga, who also chairs the Professional Football Association of Jamaica (PFAJ).
Angered by the tone of the PLCA/PFAJ boss, Burrell, who was in Zurich for the 61st FIFA Voting Congress and could not be reached for a comment earlier, yesterday said "the damaging" remarks had cast guilt on the CFU even as the matter was still being investigated by FIFA".
"The statement appears to have tried, found guilty and pronounced sentence on an entire region's football associations, despite the fact that the competent authority to adjudicate these matters has come to no such conclusion.
"In fact, FIFA's Ethics Committee is currently considering the matter and we await the final outcome of its investigation and due process," Burrell noted.
"Let me state categorically that the JFF was not offered, neither received, any funds prior to, during or after the referenced CFU meeting held May 10-11 in Trinidad," the acting CFU head stated.
Meanwhile, at press time last night Seaga, in another release, said his earlier comments achieved part of its objective, which was to get the JFF to break its silence on the burning issue.
"This revelation was the purpose of my press release in which I called for a disclosure by the JFF.
"It has enlightened the public on the role of the JFF where there was darkness before, justifying the enquiry from the PLCA. We are left to wonder if this disclosure of innocence would have been made, had not the PLCA called on the JFF to be transparent.
"Other CFU members should now follow the step of the JFF so as to fully clear the air of suspicions," the release said.
Both Warner and bin Hammam have appeared before FIFA's Ethics Committee in relation to the matter, with both being temporarily suspended from all football activities until a full inquiry into the bribery allegations against them are completed by the sport's world governing body.
In a sensational anti-climax, bin Hammam subsequently withdrew from the presidential race.
Two CFU officials — Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester — have also been suspended from activities connected with the game pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations.
While Blatter was cleared of claims that he also offered delegates incentives to support his bid for re-election and that he had knowledge of the bin Hammam gesture, FIFA's ethics committee said it was satisfied there was a case for the suspended four to answer, but stressed, "they were regarded as innocent until proven guilty".
Burrell said that "despite this public knowledge", Seaga pointed "an accusing finger", which the JFF boss deemed intemperate and damaging, to say the least.
"He has inexplicably sought to tarnish the reputations of at least 30 member associations of the CFU with what can only be described as reckless, unproven allegations of 'ginnalship' and 'acts of corruption'," noted Burrell, who is also a member of CONCACAF's Executive Committee.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1OD727SAp
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