GO AFTER JACK
Trinidad and Tobago’s veteran footballers are calling for the T&T Football Federation (TTFF) to take legal action against former CONCACAF president Jack Warner to recover funds generated from T&T’s World Cup 2006 campaign.
The Veteran Footballers Foundation of T&T (VFFOTT), through vice-president Selby Browne, said yesterday that TTFF president Raymond Tim Kee must take action against Warner in the wake of reports by Express investigative reporter Camini Marajh into Warner’s handling of TTFF and LOC Germany 2006 accounts, and try to recover over $100 million still unaccounted for.
“The new president of the TTFF (Tim Kee) and the TTFF must bring legal action against Jack Warner to recover the (missing) funds,” Browne told the Express yesterday.
“The TTFF must call in the fraud squad or DPP as it relates to the actions of Warner. The TTFF, and we in Trinidad, cannot sit here and rely on outside persons to treat with the Jack Warner debacle that we have here in Trinidad. The source of everything started right here in Trinidad football.”
According to Browne, VFFOTT has made several attempts to meet with Tim Kee, but has not been able to secure a meeting.
The veteran footballers have called a “special meeting” for May 11 at Barataria Sports Complex, where they will discuss the “implications” of the recent CONCACAF integrity committee report that accused Warner and ex-CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer of fraud and mismanagement of funds.
Browne believes that with Warner involved, T&T football has experienced a downward slide.
“In 1974, Trinidad and Tobago was qualifying for the number one slot in CONCACAF,” he said. “In 2006 we were qualifying for the 3½ (playoff) spot. So during the tenure of Warner from 1974 to date, T&T football fell at minimum three, four notches in CONCACAF.”
VFFOTT has also stated that the “sole priority” is to return T&T football to its previous “glorious product”.
Browne is also happy that the TTFF looks set to pay the 2006 “Soca Warriors”, who have been embroiled in a legal battle with the local governing body over World Cup bonuses promised them by Warner, since that year.
“We have said years ago that is long outstanding. That should have been done by the TTFF and then (they should have) pursued Warner, who has still not produced his books for the TTFF.”