Warner leaves FIFA

FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has resigned from the governing body with an inquiry into bribery allegations against him dropped.

Warner, 68, was at the centre of a FIFA bribery scandal before resigning on Monday after almost 30 years with the organisation.

The CONCACAF president informed the Zurich-based organisation of his resignation with a letter.

“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 (Caribbean Football Union) delegates,” the letter from Warner read.

“I have arrived at this decision in order to spare FIFA, CONCACAF and, in particular, the CFU and its membership, further acrimony and divisiveness arising from this and related issues.”

In response, FIFA accepted the decision, thanked Warner for his contribution and dropped the inquiry into bribery.

“Mr Warner is leaving FIFA by his own volition after nearly 30 years of service, having chosen to focus on his important work on behalf of the people and government of Trinidad and Tobago as a cabinet minister and as the chairman of the United National Congress, the major party in his country’s coalition government,” FIFA said.

“The FIFA executive committee, the FIFA president (Sepp Blatter) and the FIFA management thank Mr Warner for his services to Caribbean, CONCACAF and international football over his many years devoted to football at both regional and international level, and wish him well for the future.”

“As a consequence of Mr Warner’s self-determined resignation, all ethics committee procedures against him have been closed and the presumption of innocence is maintained.”

Warner, who accused Blatter of bribery last month, had denied the allegations against him, where it was suspected he and Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam bribed CFU delegates for votes at a meeting in Trinidad on May 10 and 11, ahead of the FIFA presidential election.

Bin Hammam consequently pulled out of the running, leaving Blatter to be re-elected unopposed.

Warner had been on FIFA’s executive committee since 1983 before being elected president of CONCACAF seven years later.