PORT OF SPAIN – A High Court judge yesterday ordered the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) to have its former special advisor Austin “Jack” Warner present all “relevant documents” regarding all the finances of the country’s participation in the 2006 World Cup.
In his 11-page ruling, Justice Devindra Rampersad also dismissed an application for Warner, a former FIFA vice-president, to be joined as a defendant in the proceedings brought against the TTFF by 14 former national players, including former international goalkeeper Shaka Hislop and Stoke City striker Kenwyne Jones.
In 2007, the players, who represented Trinidad and Tobago when the country made its debut appearance at the World Cup Finals in Germany, filed a claim seeking a number of reliefs, including an account of all sums due from the TTFF under an agreement made “at a series of meetings” between representatives of the players and the national governing body.
They were also seeking an account of all the monies received by Warner and/or former federation president Oliver Camps and general secretary Richard Groden “individually or together, legally or beneficially and/or by an agent acting on their behalf or any other party under the effective ownership or control of or serving as agents” of the TTFF, Camps, Warner or Groden.
The players had also asked the court for a disclosure of all “sums paid” to Camps under the agreement.
On September 11 last year, the players filed an application for Warner, who is now a senior cabinet minister, to be joined as a party to the proceedings.
The judge ruled that the TTFF should direct Warner in writing, copied to the attorneys for the players, “to file an account of all monies received by him” as the TTFF’s agent “in relation to all income, donations, gifts, grants or benefits whatsoever and all expenditure therefrom arising out of the World Cup 2006”.
The judge said that “such account [should] be verified by affidavit deposed to by Mr Warner exhibiting all relevant documentation and to be filed and served in these proceedings by February 10”.
Justice Rampersad, in dismissing the application to have Warner joined to the matter, said the court would also hear arguments on costs. (CMC)
