Says he 'fears for life' because of the avalanche of secrets he knows
Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report
The man at the centre of the corruption scandal rocking world football ruling body, FIFA, disgraced former Vice President, Jack Warner, has said he fears for his life and can prove a link between football's governing body and an election in Trinidad and Tobago.
Warner, one of 14 people wanted by US authorities as part of the corruption scandal rocking world football, said he had an "avalanche" of secrets that include details on FIFA's outgoing President Sepp Blatter.
"I will no longer keep secrets for them," he said in a paid political broadcast shown on Wednesday in Trinidad and Tobago.
"I reasonably and surely fear for my life," he declared and added "not even death will stop the avalanche that is coming."
Now facing extradition to the United States over the charges, Warner, a former minister of national security, is a key figure in the drama that led to Blatter's stunning resignation on Tuesday.
He said he has compiled a file of documents that shows "a link between FIFA, its funding and me, the link between FIFA its funding and the United National Congress (UNC) and the People's Partnership government in (Trinidad and Tobago's) general election 2010."
Warner also said his file "deals with my knowledge of international transactions at FIFA, including its president Mr Sepp Blatter and, lastly, other matters involving (Trinidad and Tobago's) current prime minister."
Warner was a vice president of FIFA and head of the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF). Amid multiple fraud allegations, FIFA suspended him from all duties in 2011.
In the January 2010 UNC internal election, Warner endorsed Kamla Persad-Bissessar as UNC leader. She went on to be elected the country's first woman prime minister, but Warner later broke with her government and party.
Warner said that Blatter was directly "implicated" in his suspension.
The Trinidad official, free on bond after his arrest last week, said he would fight extradition to the United States. "I have no intention of allowing them to deprive me of my freedom," he said.
‘FIFA Paid Ireland to Stave off Litigation’
Football Association of Ireland Chief Executive, John Delaney, has claimed that his country was considering legal action against FIFA after the 2009 match in Paris when Thierry Henry's infamous handball assist goal by Sylvain Wiltord was allowed to stand in a 1-1 draw after extra-time.
Ireland went out of the tournament 2-1 on aggregate over the two legs to be denied qualification for the finals in South Africa, and the financial rewards that would have brought to the country.
Henry controlled the ball with a hand before setting up Wiltord as Ireland tumbled out in the most contentious of circumstances with the referee and his officials all missing it.
This claim of a FIFA pay-off is the latest in a long list of dreadful allegations to haunt FIFA and their outgoing President, Sepp Blatter, who Delaney claimed sniggered and laughed at the Irish after their defeat to the French.
"We felt we had a legal case against FIFA because of how the World Cup play-off hadn’t worked out for us with the Henry handball," said Delaney on The Ray D'Arcy Show yesterday on RTE Radio One.
"Also the way (Sepp) Blatter behaved, if you remember on stage, having a snigger and having a laugh at us. That day when I went in, and I told him how I felt about him, there were some expletives used. We came to an agreement.
"That was a Thursday and on Monday the agreement was all signed and all done. It’s a very good agreement for the FAI and a very legitimate agreement for the FAI. I’m bound by confidentiality for naming the figure.
"You’ve put a figure out there and fair play to you. It was a payment to the association to not proceed with a legal case. In there they signed a confidentiality agreement where I can’t talk about the amount involved.
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