THE president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Raymond Tim Kee is not surprised at yesterday’s announcement of the impending resignation of Sepp Blatter as president of world football’s governing body FIFA, given that Blatter’s assistant, General Secretary Jerome Valcke, is among those implicated in a corruption scandal.
Tim Kee voted for Prince Ali of Jordan, opposing Blatter, who was re-elected FIFA president last Friday. At a TTFA media conference yesterday, Tim Kee fielded questions from local and international media. US prosecutors investigating FIFA’s alleged corruption believe Blatter’s top lieutenant made US$10m in bank transactions that are central to the bribery investigation. Tim Kee said he knew Blatter would have felt the pressure of seven of his executive being indicted by the US Justice Department and Swiss police for corrupt practises.
“What came out yesterday was a situation where his secretary general (Jerome Valcke), who is more or less his right-hand man, is being questioned as well about taking part in some transaction which was undesirable.
“Therefore, if your right-hand man and a lot of your executives are caught up in a situation where honesty and accountability are two factors which have not been observed in a practical professional way, then there is need to look at your position and, as the saying goes ‘take a side’. “I think it is an opportunity to start fresh. It is a new paradigm,” Tim Kee added.
Tim Kee also touched on Jack Warner, the former FIFA vice-president and TTFA special adviser, who has also been indicted by US authorities on charges. Tim Kee thought Warner did a lot of good for Caribbean football, but if found guilty, so be it.
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Sepp Blatter to resign as Fifa president amid corruption scandal.
BBC Sports.
Sepp Blatter says he will resign as president of football's governing body Fifa amid a corruption scandal.
In announcing his exit, the 79-year-old Swiss has called an extraordinary Fifa congress "as soon as possible" to elect a new president.
Blatter was re-elected last week, despite seven top Fifa officials being arrested two days before the vote as part of a US prosecution.
But he said: "My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody."
Blatter, who has been Fifa president since 1998, added: "The next ordinary Fifa congress will take place on 13 May, 2016 in Mexico City.
"This would create unnecessary delay and I will urge the executive committee to organise an extraordinary congress for the election of my successor at the earliest opportunity.
"This will need to be done in line with Fifa's statutes and we must allow enough time for the best candidates to present themselves and to campaign."
The extraordinary congress is expected to take place between December 2015 and March 2016.
Fifa was rocked last week by the arrests on charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering as part of a US prosecution that also indicted 14 people.
The latest allegations of corruption to emerge on Tuesday involved reports claiming Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke was responsible for an alleged $10m (£6m) payment of bribes over South Africa's bid to host the 2010 World Cup.
A separate criminal investigation by Swiss authorities into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were allocated is also under way.
"I am very much linked to Fifa and its interests. Those interests are dear to me and this is why I am taking this decision," said Blatter.
"What counts most to me is the institute of Fifa and football around the world.
"I have thoroughly considered and thought about my presidency and the last 40 years in my life.
"These years were closely related to Fifa and the wonderful sport of football. I appreciate and love Fifa more than anything else.
"I only want to do the best for Fifa and my institution. I decided to stand again as the best option for football. The elections are closed but the challenges we face haven't come to an end."
Michel Platini, the president of European football's governing body Uefa, urged Blatter not to stand for re-election and to quit following the arrests in Switzerland.
"It was a difficult decision, a brave decision, and the right decision," said Platini after Blatter stated his intention to step down.
The English Football Association has been vociferous in its criticism of Blatter.
"This is great news for football. It should have happened years ago," FA chairman Greg Dyke told the BBC.
"The timetable doesn't matter. There has to be a root and branch investigation of Fifa. It has all got to be transparent in the future."
England lost out to Russia in the bidding for the 2018 World Cup.
And Simon Johnson, who led England's 2018 bid, told BBC 5 live: "I want the full facts around the bidding to be known and published. I want there to be openness and transparency.
"If everybody won it because of a fair fight and everything was fair and objective and transparent then good, well done.
"If it wasn't, if it was found there was improper behaviour in any way by any of the winning bidders then Fifa must have a look at whether they should re-open the process.
"I think 2018 will go ahead. The preliminary draw for the Russia World Cup is a few weeks away and it's too late to change that, but 2022 is another matter."
Rowley: Warner must tell the 'whole truth'
PNM leader wants answers on Section 34
By Joel Julien (Express).
EMBATTLED Member of Parliament Jack Warner must tell the "whole truth" about the Section 34 fiasco so the country can determine if there is any merit to his claims that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has unduly influenced his extradition matter, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley said yesterday.
Speaking at an Independent Liberal Party (ILP) cottage meeting in Chaguanas last Thursday night mere hours after being released from prison, Warner said, "Kamla having jailed me, as of tonight the gloves are off."
Rowley was asked for his take on these issues at a news conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader at Charles Street in Port of Spain yesterday.
"If there is any truth in that Mr Warner is in a position to tell us the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and I draw your attention to how this said Government dealt with Section 34 and the other two financiers when Mr Warner was in the Cabinet, and it is my view that Mr Warner has information which can elucidate for us what happened with Section 34 in a Cabinet of which he was a part," Rowley said.
"And what I would say to Mr Warner on that subject is if he wants to tell us the story, tell us the whole story.
“Two other financiers got themselves virtually freed from judicial action because the Cabinet took actions in the Parliament, at the level of the Cabinet, at the Office of the President with an outcome in the court under the infamous Section 34 action of this Government to ensure that those financiers did not have their day in court as they should have had, and if he is handled differently now and he wants to complain about his treatment he must tell us the whole story so we can compare apples with the oranges that he talking about," he said.
Rowley likened the indictment against Warner as that of a family member being held for "something unpleasant" and therefore he feels "hurt and let down".
"It is very much like a family member being held for something unpleasant and while you may not as a member of that family have done it yourself and can be held accountable, there is a feeling of being hurt and let down because as a nation we are a family, and if we are so represented we can feel nothing but hurt. But as we say, there is the presumption of innocence until proven guilty so we need to temper our expressions and it is something we would have preferred not to have been attached to us," Rowley said.
Rambachan's comment shocking
Rowley yesterday dismissed calls by Works and Infrastructure Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan, the United National Congress' deputy political leader, for the People's National Movement (PNM) to explain its position with Warner and the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) in the light of the indictment facing Warner.
Rowley described Rambachan's comment as "shocking" since Warner was once Persad-Bissessar's "rock and confidant" and held several positions of power, both in the UNC and in the Cabinet.
Warner was always "stoutly defended" by Persad-Bissessar up to his resignation in April 2013, Rowley said.
"We will brook no defence of the PNM with respect to Mr Warner's personal problems. I take no pleasure in Mr Warner's suffering and his family's pain and I trust that he will be subject of free and fair judicial processes in Trinidad and Tobago and outside of Trinidad and Tobago and wherever it is now, let the law take its course," Rowley said.
Rowley said it is "disingenuous" for persons to try to create a "specific association" between the PNM and the ILP.
"I did see some persons making an issue of the fact that I shook Mr Warner's hand when he turned up in the march and extended his hand to me. I was too well brought up not to have manners and Mr Warner visiting Diego Martin West, he is a parliamentary colleague and if I shake his hand I don't know that should be a problem. I would be quite disappointing to my grandparents who raised me if I did otherwise," he said.