President of the Barbados Football Association Ronald Jones has issued a clear the air statement on the recent football scandal. He says Barbados delegates were not offered any inducements or gifts to support any of the candidates during the CONCACAF meeting held last month in Trinidad.
Following is the full text of the statement issued to the media today:
The Barbados Football Association is mindful of the current investigations of allegations of bribery being made against Austin “Jack” Warner, FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF and CFU President. We are further aware of the several machinations which have taken place at the level of CONCACAF relative to the actions of the Executive. We further recognize that the fractures within the CFU and CONCACAF do not bode well for football within the confederation.
The Barbados Football Association makes it pellucid that none of its delegates were offered any inducements or gifts to support any of the candidates during the meeting on the 10th of May in Trinidad. Our delegates listened to the Speeches by Mohamed Bin Hamman, who was there to make a case as to why he would need the support of FIFA members of the CFU. He, as reported by our delegates, clearly articulated his governance style and programme of action, which he would want to see across the football world, but particularly in those areas which are not as well developed. The countries of the Caribbean would all fall within the description of least develop in football.
The Barbados Football Association was made aware that the trip and accommodation were sponsored by Mohamed Bin Hamman under the auspices of the CFU. The BFA did not and does not see this as akin to bribery or any inducements as in the past trips by Caribbean delegates to meetings have been sponsored by the organization and agency that wanted to put on the programme.
Since the meeting of 10th and 11th May in Trinidad, The Barbados Football Association has received several communications from CONCACAF and FIFA about allegations of bribery and invitations to meetings before the Ethics Committee of FIFA. The General Secretary of the BFA has already responded to FIFA Ethics Committee at a meeting in Zurich over the past week. He maintained that he was not aware of any inducements offered to delegates at the meeting. He further explained that he was not in any position to state if any inducements were offered to any other delegates of any Caribbean Federation or Association.
The comments of the General Secretary of the BFA remain the position of the BFA on this matter. As President of the Association, I am positive that our delegates operated with the highest level of integrity and professionalism as I would have expected of any member of the BFA’s Executive.
