Former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has been secretly filmed offering ‘gifts’ of 25,000 pounds to Caribbean FIFA members.
Warner, who stepped down from his post in June, is reported to have offered the bribes on May 11 where he urged them to vote for former presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam, according to The Telegraph.
The 68-year-old is said to have stressed to the delegates that the gifts are not to be seen as coming from Bin Hammam.
He then goes on to challenge the delegates, reportedly saying: “I know there are some people here who believe they are more pious than thou. If you are pious go to a church friends, but the fact is that our business is our business.”
He then goes on to launch a scathing attack on UEFA president Michel Platini.
“We have to ensure Platini is not some automatic inheritor of FIFA, because I tell you if that happens FIFA will become a French province. Forever,” he said.
“The fact is that Platini is being groomed to succeed Mr Blatter and we don’t know if it is in our best interests to have a French president, a French general secretary … but in any event I don’t think it’s in our best interests to do that.”
Bin Hammam, who was forced to withdraw his challenge for presidency, has since been banned from FIFA for life, while Warner resigned from all his football activities in June, with world football’s governing body dropping their investigation into his alleged bribery.
