Port-Au-Prince (Haiti), June 10 (IANS) The corruption scandal swirling around world football governing body FIFA has reached Haiti, following allegations that post-earthquake reconstruction funds were embezzled by a football official.
Former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner is under investigation in the US for embezzling funds earmarked for the victims of Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake, reports Xinhua.
“Trinidadian Jack Warner, ex-vice president of FIFA (1997-2011) and ex-president of CONCACAF (1990-2011) embezzled $750,000 in donations for victims of the January 12, 2010 quake,” according to Haitian daily Alter Presse.
Haitian Football Federation (FHF) secretary general Carlo Marcelin declined to comment on the revelation, saying “he was not aware” of the latest report on the ongoing FIFA scandal.
Warner was arrested in Trinidad and Tobago on charges of bribery and corruption in relation to FIFA-organised World Cup games, and released on bail.
Millions of dollars poured into Haiti after the quake, killing more than 200,000 people and leaving many more homeless.
The American Red Cross this week had to answer to allegations of mismanaging nearly half a billion dollars in donations for the rebuilding effort, after an investigative report claimed it had so far built only six homes.