Trinidad soccer federation to sue Warner for funds

Port-of-Spain: The Trinidad and Tobago football federation says it plans to sue former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner to recover millions of dollars in funds including those slated for Haiti as a post-earthquake donation. Federation attorney Derek Ali told a judge Friday that he planned to file a lawsuit and accused Warner of not releasing the audited accounts as promised. High Court Judge Devindra Rampersad ordered Ali to send Warner a protocol letter advising him of the federation’s intentions. [caption id=“attachment_217519” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Suspended FIFA executive Jack Warner gestures during a news conference held shortly after his arrival at the airport in Port-of-Spain. AP”]  [/caption] The TTFF recently acknowledged it had “surrendered its authority” to Warner, who had served as the federation’s special adviser and resigned last year to avoid a bribery probe. Warner made a brief statement after the federation made its announcement. “That is their right to do so,” he said. “Let us see what happens.” The federation has said that Warner controlled a bank account in its name that was set to receive $750,000 pledged by FIFA and South Korean football leader Chung Mong-joon for rebuilding projects in Haiti. Haitian officials recently told The Sunday Times in Britain that they received only $60,000, and FIFA announced it would temporarily freeze all funding to Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad’s soccer federation is also seeking to recover millions of dollars in bonuses that 13 players from the island’s 2006 World Cup team claim Warner promised them but never paid. Last year, Rampersad ordered Warner to make a more than $700,000 in interim payments to players, but Warner has not done so. Warner previously made a $1 million payment and said he has offered $2.3 million to the players, whom he accused of being greedy after they demanded $3.9 million. Warner stepped down last year after overseeing football’s North and Central American and Caribbean governing body for almost 30 years. As a result, FIFA cannot discipline him but has said that it will withhold his pension payments. Warner, who is a member of Trinidad’s ruling party, still serves as the island’s Minister of Works. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Friday that authorities are investigating several projects launched by Warner’s ministry. She declined further comment. AP