The Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) have dismissed Jack Warner's assertions of corruption in their ranks as being politically motivated.
Last week, first in Parliament, and then at a subsequent press conference on Saturday at CONCACAF's Port of Spain headquarters, UNC-A Chaguanas West MP Warner alleged that millions of dollars in rental were being spent to move SPORTT from the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, where accommodation was free, to the capital city, Port of Spain, and called for explanations from Minister of Sport Gary Hunt.
Warner, a FIFA vice-president and special adviser to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, also slammed the organisation for financially supporting the fledgling footballers union, the Football Players Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT).
On the issue of salaries, SPORTT fired back, saying that such "compensation packages" for employees are not "out of line with the industry norms".
SPORTT also questioned Warner's process of gaining "through illicit means, what is essentially employees' confidential information, and under the guise of public good, placing that information into the public domain".
"With the exception of the directors, none of these employees are public persons. They have the right to expect that their compensation will remain confidential," the release said, adding that Warner's disclosures could be viewed by "fair-minded citizens" as serving a "political agenda".
SPORTT also sought to address the issue of providing security for the family of SPORTT acting CEO Anna Thompson.
"When telephone threats are made to executives and directors, when the brake line of one CEO's vehicle was cut, when bullets are fired at the home of an employee with family members inside, severely traumatising the children of the household, Mr. Warner, we do not consider these as, nor will we treat with them as merely 'threats'."
The letter concluded that "any reasonable person" might deduce that Warner "has chosen to side with the nefarious perpetrators of these heinous acts by seeking to minimise or understate such criminal behaviour".
SPORTT explained that their support of FPATT, which Warner quoted at $99,990, was so that "our talented footballers are not exploited or treated with contempt" and are "given a voice", using the West Indies Players Association as an example of a "vibrant organisation" they also backed.
"...SPORTT agrees it is important that there is a body seeking the players' interests. Indeed, in our opinion, despite what some may have us believe, no single person is the voice of, or owner of Trinbago football. It belongs to all of us."
The letter, however, did not answer Warner's charges of more than $2.7 million worth of rental payments, including $248,768.40 monthly for their new Henry Street base he alleges has "not a single chair".