FIFA VP Warner Quits, Bribery Charges Dropped

FIFA Vice President Jack Warner resigned on Monday before the results of a bribery investigation came through, leading all ethics charges against him to be dropped.

Both Warner, 68, and Asian soccer chief Mohamed bin Hamman were suspended by the sport’s governing body last month when American executive Chuck Blazer accused them of offering $40,000 in cash to Caribbean soccer officials during Hammam’s bid for FIFA’s president. Warner stepped down after some of the Carribean officials were interviewed by former FBI agents enlisted by FIFA for the investigation, according to The Associated Press.

In a statement, the Zurich-based organization said Warner, also a member of Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago, was immediately stepping down from all FIFA posts to focus on his political career and "on his important work on behalf of the people and government."

"FIFA regrets the turn of events that have led to Mr. Warner's decision. His resignation has been accepted by world football's governing body ... Mr. Warner is leaving FIFA by his own volition after nearly 30 years of service," the statement said.


Warner said he would continue to help with FIFA’s wider corruption investigation, which includes the conduct of Bin Hammam, Bloomberg reports.

“I reaffirm my offer of cooperation with the FIFA ethics committee in the resolution of the ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities pertaining to the recent visit of Mohamed Bin Hammam to Port of Spain to meet with CFU [Carribean Football Union] delegates,” Warner said in the letter.

Hammam quit the election just hours before he was officially suspended, and president Sepp Blatter, was re-elected unopposed, according to Bloomberg

Warner has been a FIFA executive since 1983. Seven years later, he was elected to lead the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Assoication Football, or Concacaf.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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