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FIFA’s ethics committee has banned Jack Warner from football-related activity for life following an investigation into the bidding contest for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Former CONCACAF president Warner is a former FIFA vice-president and executive committee member, but he quit world football’s governing body in 2011 after having been suspended over earlier accusations of bribery relating to a presidential election.
The governing body said at the time of his resignation that the “presumption of innocence is maintained.”
However, FIFA’s ethics committee opened an investigation into Warner earlier this year and said on Tuesday that he “committed many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly during his time as an official in different high-ranking and influential positions at FIFA and CONCACAF.”
The full FIFA statement read: “The adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee, chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert, has decided to ban the former FIFA vice-president and executive committee member, as well as CONCACAF president, Mr Jack Warner from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for life.
“The decision was taken on the basis of investigations carried out by the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee following its report on the inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process.
“The chairman of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, Dr Cornel Borbely, who took over the chairmanship from his predecessor in late December 2014, immediately opened the investigation into Mr Warner’s activities in January 2015.
“Mr Warner was found to have committed many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly during his time as an official in different high-ranking and influential positions at FIFA and CONCACAF.
“In his positions as a football official, he was a key player in schemes involving the offer, acceptance, and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, as well as other money-making schemes.
“He was found guilty of violations of art. 13 (General rules of conduct), art. 15 (Loyalty), art. 18 (Duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting), art. 19 (Conflicts of interest), art. 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) and art. 41 (Obligation of the parties to collaborate) of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
“The ban is effective from Sept. 25 2015, the date on which the present decision was notified.”
Warner is currently fighting extradition on U.S. charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering in the FIFA corruption case. He has to report twice weekly to a police station and his passport has been seized.
Authorities in the 72-year-old’s native Trinidad postponed a hearing on Friday to determine whether the U.S. will have to restart extradition proceedings.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
