(Jamaica Observer) Caribbean Football Union (CFU) presidential candidate Tony James, while expressing sympathy for Captain Horace Burrell, has called on FIFA to clearly state the reasons for recent bans on various regional officials in the wake of a probe into a slew of bribery allegations that have scarred the world game.
James and Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Burrell, along with Trinidad’s Harold Taylor and Antigua’s Gordon Derrick, were set to challenge for the vacant CFU top job at polls set for on November 20 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Speaking to the Observer on Saturday — a day after the announcement of the six-month suspension (three months deferred for a two-year probationary period) handed to Burrell — James aimed criticism at certain aspects of FIFA’s procedure thus far and declared that more transparency is needed.
“I think FIFA has spent a lot of money on these investigations and has made a lot of statements. Now they have to follow up with a press release indicating what they have done and why they have done it. People have been guessing and it shouldn’t be like that. FIFA should explain why X person has been banned for X time,” said the Manchester-based businessman.
Burrell and other CFU members were penalised by FIFA’s Ethics Committee for their alleged roles in a “bribery conspiracy”, but the Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter-led organisation has not specified the nature of the involvement, nor the reason for dishing out varying degrees of punishment.
In a statement last Friday, a remorseful Burrell said he would not be appealing the FIFA Ethics Committee’s decision and stated that he fully understood the reason behind it as he said his initial decision not to co-operate with the foreign investigators was an error on his part.
“Those of us who live the Caribbean reality will understand my reluctance, while people who are unfamiliar with our Caribbean history will take offence, which is what happened, and for which I now suffer the consequences.”
“A majority of the Caribbean football officials who had participated at the CFU meeting in Port of Spain had objected to the initial interviews being conducted outside of the Caribbean. This was consequent to the many statements emanating from the different sides and the lack of clarity on how the investigations were to be conducted,” said Burrell as he attempted to paint a clearer picture as to the cause of FIFA’s action.
Burrell, has consistently denied the JFF accepted any form of gifts at a controversial CFU meeting on May 10 and 11 in Trinidad & Tobago, where cash was offered to members by then FIFA presidential candidate Mohammed bin Hammam.
FIFA’s move against Burrell came as a shock to many as Jamaica was not listed as one of the nations under investigation by the FIFA probes.
Meanwhile, James explained that he lacked the necessary information to pass judgement on the decisions, but insisted that actions were expected after the news of the Trinidad meeting.
“I would have to see the full range of decisions to say if FIFA has made a clear statement. Until FIFA is finished with the issue and lay out the criteria, it’s hard for people to say if the findings are just.
“This was inevitable and I tried to analyse it and show people that it’s ABC. It’s a process. FIFA has said they would have meetings and they would have made decisions. You could know that by mid-October there would be some decisions,” he said, while adding that more findings are expected in the coming days.
James, who was the head of the JFF between 1985 and 1992, expressed sympathy with Burrell and lauded the former army man for his role in football development in the country.
“The Captain is a very proud person and he has done a lot for this country. I’m his adversary in this particular election, but I’m his friend and I’ve always supported him, so I must feel for him,” he said.
In recent months, world football has been rocked to its core following money-for-vote allegations against then FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF chief Austin ‘Jack’ Warner and ousted Asian Football Confederation boss bin Hammam.
Warner subsequently resigned, while bin Hammam was banned for life by the Ethics Committee.
The committee later swung its attention to the Caribbean region. Many followers have speculated that Burrell was a victim of his perceived close association to Warner, who was also the CFU head.
Another of Warner’s long-standing allies, Colin Klass of Guyana, received a 26-month ban from FIFA’s ethics panel last month, while another close Warner associate Barbados’ Lisle Austin was banned for one year after he used a civil court in The Bahamas to pursue his bid, as interim president of CONCACAF, to fire general secretary Chuck Blazer in what was seen as an act of revenge on Warner’s behalf.
In the Friday announcements, FIFA said a hearing into the case of Guyana official Noel Adonis was postponed and a case left open into the conduct of St Lucia official Patrick Mathurin.
Jamaica’s Horace Reid was among other Caribbean officials to receive warnings by the world governing body.
