Valcke confirms Warner email is genuine

ZURICH, Switzerland CMC – FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke confirmed yesterday that the email released by FIFA’s Trinidadian vice-president Austin ‘Jack’ Warner implying Qatar “bought” the 2022 World Cup was authentic.
Warner, along with Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam, was suspended on Sunday by FIFA’s ethics committee pending an investigations into bribery allegations.

Bin Hammam had been expected to run against FIFA president Sepp Blatter in tomorrow’s presidential election, but withdrew after being hauled before the ethics committee.
In a statement just hours after FIFA announced his suspension, an upset Warner released an email with Valcke suggesting that Bin Hammam and Qatar had bought the World Cup.
“It was a private email and we will discuss it,” Valcke said. “He sent me an email asking if I want that (Bin Hammam to run), he said that I should ask Bin Hammam to pull out.”
He contended that Warner had published only parts of the email and also refuted claims by Warner and Bin Hammam that he had swayed the ethics committee’s ruling.
The email sent by Valcke and released by Warner read: “For MBH (Bin Hammam), I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB (Blatter). Or he thought you can buy FIFA as they bought the WC.”
Warner’s other claim that Blatter “made a gift of one million USD to CONCACAF to spend as it deems fit” has been denied by UEFA president Michel Platini.
In his statement, Warner said Platini had been “annoyed” by Blatter’s offer and had complained to Valcke, but Platini yesterday downplayed the affair.
“It’s not like that, it was a joke with me and Mr Blatter,” Platini was quoted as saying. “He can give the projects that he wants to give. I joke, I said ‘but Sepp this was not accepted by the committee’ but he can give many projects to many national associations.
“The president can give one or two projects to national associations – he has his own budget and he can give to one confederation and then it has to be approved of course by the executive committee next time.”
Warner has been temporarily replaced as CONCACAF president by Alfredo Hawit Banegas of Honduras, pending the investigation by the FIFA’s ethics committee.

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