Jamaica's football under threat?

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Weeks after it was first alleged that Caribbean Football Union (CFU) bosses were offered US$40,000 bribes to support the crumbled FIFA presidential campaign of suspended Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam, the dust is yet to settle; leaving a horrible stench that local football aficionado Edward Seaga believes will result in crippling impli-cations for Jamaican and regional football.

In a bitter tale of accusations and counter-accusations, it is alleged that Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and CFU boss Austin 'Jack' Warner colluded with Bin Hammam to secure votes for the latter's short-lived campaign against eventually re-elected FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Two suspended

The two have since been suspended by FIFA, pending the findings of an investigation which is being led by ex-FBI director Louis Freeh - an investigation that the CFU hierarchy, being led by Jamaica Football Federation president Captain Horace Burrell on an interim basis, initially said it would not aid because of perceived biases in the selection of the location for the interview - Miami. It is understood that 18 of the 25 member associations refused to attend the meeting.

The venue for interviews was later changed to The Bahamas, and Burrell has since promised that the Caribbean associations will fully support the process.

However, Seaga, one of the few regional football officials who have been willing to speak publicly on the matter, warned of dire consequences for Jamaican and regional football if the alleged bribery charges are found to be true.

"If this thing holds and Warner faces a serious sanction, then there is no doubt that it will implicate the entire CFU, perhaps except those who promptly gave back the money and came forward from the onset. In saying that it's going to implicate them, such implication depends, of course, on the mood of those who will be dealing with the matter," Seaga reasoned.

"I will say that they (associations that are found to be guilty) are in perilous waters, and I believe it is very late now for anybody to be calling for people to give back the money when they should have done that from the very beginning," said Seaga, the president of the Professional Football Association of Jamaica and the Premier League Clubs Association, in reference to Burrell's latest plea.

So, here is the situation.

Of the 25 member associations that make up the CFU, the likes of Jamaica, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda have squarely denied ever being offered or receiving any funds at the now infamous May 10 and 11 meetings in Trinidad and Tobago, where Bin Hammam had gone to meet with CFU bosses.

However, the presidents of the Suriname and Puerto Rican Football Associations, Louis Giskus and Eric Labrador, respectively, have both publicly reported receiving the US$40,000 gifts at the meeting and expressed their readiness to return same.

Officials from the Bahamas FA also reported receiving US$40,000 in a brown envelope.

Serious implications

"The implications can be very serious and, unless the excuse is offered as such, like Suriname, which has said they received it but have placed it in the bank and have not touched it, that is one model of excuse," Seaga pointed out. "The other models that are coming forward were that they got it (money) but weren't too sure what it was and, of course, there are the die-hard Jack Warner supporters who are saying that nothing like that happened."

"If they (FIFA) decide that, listen we are going to say let's get rid of this thing (corruption) once and for all, in which case, we can see bans of up to five years and so forth, this would totally destroy Jamaican football and football in the wider area," Seaga added. "The way back is for everyone who took the money to come clean, give back the money. As I said, if we do not come clean, we will be discovered and sanctions will be applied."

In the meantime, Burrell and Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation President Oliver Camps have both expressed their support for Warner.