April 18 – The dispute over the ownership of the Trinidad centre of excellence currently held by former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has become a point of political contention in Trinidad government politics with Warner saying the issue is being driven on to the political agenda by Trinidad’s Attorney General.
CONCACAF has filed a legal action in Trinidad, known as a caveat, which is aimed to block Warner from mortgaging, leasing or selling the centre. For his part Warner says he has no intention of selling the centre but that the is part of a wider Trinidad political assault on him.
Warner told the Trinidad Express: “I promised never to respond to any article written about Jack Warner in relation to CONCACAF and FIFA but two articles, “CONCACAF Blocks Jack” – Express and “BLOCKED” – Newsday, which are nothing more than blatant and outright lies have forced me to respond.
“The contents of these articles I was told by some of my former Cabinet colleagues were discussed in Cabinet only last week Thursday.
“So now that the Government is in trouble it does not surprise me that a Jack Warner/CONCACAF story is their medium for distraction.
“The truth is, if anyone can come forward with an iota of evidence to support that the Centre of Excellence is being sold by Jack Warner to any consortium of businessmen, local or foreign, I will sell all my worldly possessions to that person for one dollar.
“One Dollar!
“But I am not fazed because I was told by my friends in Government that this is just the beginning of many attacks to be leveled against Jack Warner to discredit me as a person and as a threat to the political landscape.
“My sources have even told me that this is a personal attack against me by the Attorney General and advised that I should not be shocked if he himself called CONCACAF to pursue this action. That an Attorney General can influence the local media to such an extent is simply frightening.”
Warner told Press Association Sport: “I wish to state categorically that the Centre of Excellence is not for sale.
“Let me also state that CONCACAF does not have any equitable interest in the Centre of Excellence and has no claims to ownership.
“If CONCACAF indeed has filed a caveat against me all I can say is that both CONCACAF and FIFA have unlimited funding and they can spend their money as they wish if they want to do that.”
The ownership of the centre, that was built at a cost of about $15 million with $11 million funding from CONCACAF and $4 million from FIFA, has long been a point of contention.
Built on land owned by Warner, he maintains he was personally given the money to build the centre and has produced letters from Havelange indicating that the loan from FIFA had been turned into a grant. Warner said the grant was a gift for helping in the election of Blatter to FIFA presidency in 1998. He then named the centre after Blatter’s predecessor Joao Havelange.
The centre includes a swimming complex and fitness centre, a garden sanctuary, a 44-room hotel, a theatre seating 800 people, a banqueting and reception hall. The 6,000-seat Marvin Lee Stadium, which has artificial turf, is also part of the centre.
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