When Warner isn’t calling himself a politician, he says he’s a businessman. His activities are aimed at making money out of football but last week he refused to say if he pays all the tax he should. Like the other 23 members of FIFA executive committee Warner is paid huge fees and expenses. Some members – I’ve seen the confidential documents – stash the money in Switzerland. To avoid tax, some ship it home in cash hidden in their girlfriends’ knickers. Did he pay tax? No comment from Warner. Warner makes more huge profits out of his industrial-scale World Cup ticket rackets. Even FIFA concedes – in another confidential document in my possession – that he made around $1 million profits in Germany in 2006. Did he pay tax? Silence from Warner. Warner makes more huge profits out of his industrial-scale World Cup ticket rackets. Even FIFA concedes – in another confidential document in my possession – that he made around $1 million profits in Germany in 2006. Did he pay tax? Silence from Warner. He made even more out of the Soca Warriors, Trinidad’s heroes who in 2006 became the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup finals. They carried themselves with dignity, not responding to some dubious tackles when England beat them in the first round. Warner and his son Daryll set up a company to harvest the revenues from TV, sponsors and ticket sales. They pulled in more than £3 million, supposedly to be shared among the players. After the tournament Warner’s accountant produced a bundle of numbers. Unfortunately some of the documents had been lost so the expenses were estimated. If that didn’t smell funny, the next stroke was a surprise deduction of one third of the money ‘to prepare Trinidad for the World Cup 2010!’ When the Soca Warriors complained, Warner’s officials denounced them as ‘greedy’ –and offered them £500 a man. Sixteen of the squad consulted lawyers and Warner banned them from playing again for Trinidad. They included Marvin Andrews, Shaka Hislop, Kelvin Jack and Brent Sancho. The players petitioned FIFA, asking the ethics committee, headed by Lord Sebastian Coe, to intervene. No, said FIFA, we won’t help you against Warner. In May last year an independent arbitrator in London awarded the players everything they asked for. Warner still refused to pay. The team have taken their case to the Trinidad courts where Warner has succeeded in delaying the case. It may be back in court in a few months. The question I asked in Trinidad a week ago was this: Seeing Warner had hung on to £3 million for three years, had he paid tax on it? Warner declined to say.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 03:38:55 +0000
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