(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president, Captain Horace Burrell, said his hands are clean and does not fear being prosecuted in connection with the ongoing investigations into corruption at football’s world governing body FIFA and has vowed to oversee changes that will restore CONCACAF’s reputation.
Since May this year, two presidents – Jeffrey Webb and Alfredo Hawit – of CONCACAF, the confederation representing football bodies from the Caribbean and North and Central America, have been arrested as the United States Justice Department in conjunction with Swiss authorities investigate malfeasance amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Webb, who was arrested in May, and Hawit, jailed in early December, were among an estimated 30 football officials who were arrested between May and December this year. Webb has pleaded not guilty to corruption charges in US Federal Court. Arising from the arrests, Burrell, a close friend and business partner of Webb, was among several officials appointed to an executive committee at CONCACAF that will oversee the running of the confederation until elections are held in May 2016.
Asked if there were fears among the committee members about further arrests, Burrell said he was not fearful of being implicated of anything sinister.
“I can only speak for myself; I have absolutely no fear or concerns and I am sure my other colleagues would feel the same way, but you just can’t swear for anyone in this case, so we just have to hope,” he said.
