Jack Warner mounts defence but is not expected to sue FIFA

FIFA vice president Jack Warner is expected to drop his threat of legal action against the authors of an auditing report and some FIFA officials, reports The Daily Telegraph. But when the story of Warner’s alleged illegal sale of 4,500 World Cup tickets broke earlier this month, he was all set to sue and claimed he had been the victim of a set-up.

As reported by Play the Game, investigative reporter Andrew Jennings published two confidential reports from auditors Ernst & Young detailing that company’s findings in two separate investigations of Jack Warner’s alleged sale of World Cup tickets. Warner hit back a few days later with a report compiled by lawyer John P. Collins who sits on FIFA’s legal committee.

According to Collins’ investigation which has been posted on the Internet, the Ernst & Young reports were based on incomplete information and reach “erroneous conclusions.” Collins writes that Warner was not involved in the purchase, distribution or re-distribution of any tickets. And the lawyer asserts that the leak of the Ernst & Young reports to Andrew Jennings is highly suspect.

“Not surprisingly, Mr. Jennings used these documents and their erroneous and incomplete information to write an extremely derogatory article against Mr. Warner. Moreover, Mr. Jennings posted these documents on the Internet. Needless to say this “indiscretion” has caused significant harm to Mr. Warner,” writes Collins in his report.

Now The Daily Telegraph reports that Warner is expected to drop his threat of getting outside legal involvement with the case and instead accept what FIFA’s disciplinary committee decides on the matter.

The disciplinary committee was landed with the difficult task of sifting through the evidence in the Warner case after the FIFA Committee on Ethics and Fair Play was disbanded and a new Ethics Committee was set up under the chairmanship of Sebastian Coe. The new Ethics Committee can only deal with cases that occur after its set-up, so instead Sepp Blatter has handed the matter to the disciplinary committee.

See the reports from Ernst & Young

Report from Ernst & Young to FIFA on 11 April, 2006

Report from Ernst & Young to FIFA on 8 July, 2006