A look back at Jack Warner’s troubles with Fifa over the last 15 years left a trail of allegations which have culminated in his arrest on Wednesday. Warner, 72, the Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West, has maintained his innocence of the charges and intends to challenge his extradition to the United States to face trial.
December 2002—International media reports allegation that Warner had made a US $350,000 profit from selling 2002 Fifa World Cup tickets through Simpaul Travel, a family company in which he owns shares.
May 2004—Scottish Football Association president John McBeth accuses Warner of seeking to have money owed to the TTFF be sent to Warner’s personal account after T&T visited Scotland for a friendly match.
McBeth said he told Warner it was not procedure, adding that Warner also approached other members of the Scottish FA following the game in an attempt to collect the money.
December 2005—Fifa’s ethics committee criticises ticket deals for World Cup 2005 by Simpaul Travel, finding that Warner had abused his position to obtain personal benefits and failed to declare his business interests.
Fifa started an investigation through its auditors Ernst & Young and in March 2006. The firm estimated that Warner’s family had made a profit of at least US$1 million from reselling 2006 World Cup tickets.
It further alleged that Warner had directly ordered and sold tickets on behalf of the TTFA. Minutes of Fifa’s executive found him guilty of breaking Fifa’s Article 5 and fined his family almost $1 million, however, only $250,000 was paid.
May of 2011—Former Fifa executive Chuck Blazer initiates an investigation of Asian Football Confederation president Mohammed bin Hammam and Warner after allegations of bribery were made against the two during a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) meeting in Port-of-Spain.
Former US federal prosecutor John P Collins did the investigation and his report led to Fifa’s suspension of Warner and Bin Hammam from all soccer activities pending the outcome of Fifa’s own investigation.
May of 2011—Former chairman of the English Football Association, Lord Triesman accuses Warner of seeking £2.5 million in return for votes for England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
The money would have reportedly gone toward building an education centre in Trinidad. Warner denied the allegations.
February 2012—The T&T Football Federation (TTFF) claims former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner had control of its bank account which contained emergency aid funds donated for earthquake-hit Haiti that never made it to the Caribbean island. In 2010 Warner was special adviser to the TTFF when funds from Fifa and the South Korean FA was paid to a TTFF of which £440,000 was missing.
April 2013—A Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association (Concacaf) Integrity Committee, headed by former Barbadian Chief Justice David Simmons issues a report accusing Warner of massive fraud by concealing his ownership of the land on which Concacaf’s $25 million Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence was built, making him the effective owner of the building.
With mounting public pressure for his dismissal, Warner resigned as Minister of National Security and the MP for Chaguanas West on April 21 and as chairman of the United National Congress.
April 2013—A forensic audit by the Fifa’s Integrity Committee found that both men had been functioning without a written contract from 1998 until they left the organisation.
March 2014—The UK Telegraph reports that Warner and his family were paid almost £1.2 million from a Qatari firm linked to the country’s successful bid for the 2022 World Cup.
It reported hat the FBI was investigating Warner and his alleged links to the Qatari bid.
May 27, 2015—Warner appears before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Port-of Spain Magistrates Court on 12 charges of corruption and bribery. He was granted $2.5 million bail and ordered to surrender his passport and report to police twice a week.
However, he had to spend the night in jail after the house deed he used to secure his bail was insufficient and he was unable to secure other required documents before closing time.
Earlier that day, US authorities made an application to the Central Authority Unit seeking to extradite Warner, who along with 13 other Fifa officials, was indicted on racketeering, corruption and bribery charges.
Warner has maintained his innocence but surrendered himself to the Fraud Squad.