Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
WARNER
CRENSTON BOXHILL, president of Jamaica's Football Federation (JFF), has thrown his weight behind embattled Jack Warner, president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), in a show of solidarity following the 29th Ordinary CFU Congress held in Antigua at the weekend.
"He gave an explanation of what transpired and the entire congress unanimously supported Jack Warner and believed him, and wished him all the best and was in solidarity with him," Boxhill told The Gleaner.
The JFF president said there was no issue and there was no vote after president Warner explained to the congress the whole thing about the conflict of interest on his handling of World Cup tickets with FIFA, football's world governing body, and its Ethics Committee.
UNDER FIRE
Warner came under fire recently with allegations that the sole agency in Trinidad and Tobago that sells tickets for the World Cup in Germany 2006 is owned by a family member of Warner's, which was a potential conflict of interest under the terms of FIFA's Code of Ethics.
The 30 nations that make up the Caribbean Football Union stood united behind their president, Boxhill said.
"After he gave the explanation, the entire congress responded that way," explained Boxhill.
Warner, who addressed the issue head-on, was quoted as saying he fully supports high standards in public life and had supported FIFA's Code of Ethics since its introduction in 2004.
Warner added that it was he himself who sought the advice of the FIFA Committee for Ethics and Fair Play over a potential conflict of interest.
FIFA had appointed Ernst & Young as independent external auditors to monitor and evaluate the overall ticketing project for the 2006 World Cup.
The decision from the world governing body, on January 13, came 10 days after Warner's public response to a three-part series published in the Trinidad Express newspaper on December 25, 26 and 27, which highlighted an apparent lack of transparency within the Trinidad &Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) concerning its sale of tickets and its relationship with special adviser and FIFA Vice-President Warner.
The statement of Caribbean unity in support of its president came at the end of a Congress that had already successfully dealt with a number of issues, including progress with FIFA Development Programmes (FIFA Goal and the FIFA Assistance Programme) and criteria for player eligibility in non-independent nations in the Caribbean Football Union.
