Financial Irregularities
At the 2012 CONCACAF Congress which took place during May in Budapest, legal counsel John P. Collins told the members of CONCACAF of several financial irregularities. Collins revealed that Jack Warner, the former CONCACAF President had registered the $22million Dr. João Havelange Centre of Excellence development in Port-of-Spain under the name of two companies that Warner owned.
In addition Warner had secured a mortgage against the asset in 2007 which the CONCACAF members were also unaware of, the mortgage was co-signed by Lisle Austin, a former vice-president of CONCACAF. The loan defaulted.
Collins also revealed that CONCACAF, despite most of its income coming from the United States had not paid any tax to the Internal Revenue Service since at least 2007 and had never filed a return in the United States. Although CONCACAF is a registered non-profit-organisation in the Bahamas and head quartered in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, they have an administration office in New York and BDO and CONCACAF invited the IRS to investigate potential liabilities. It is thought that CONCACAF may have to pay up to $2million plus penalties.
Chuck Blazer stated that a full financial audit into CONCACAF by New-York based consultancy BDO was delayed due to the actions of Jack Warner and his personal accountant and the accounts could not be 'signed off' as a consequence.
In addition, Blazer is to sue CONCACAF for unpaid commission of sponsorship and marketing deals which he had made in 2010 during his time as General Secretary. Blazer received a 10% commission on any deal that he made on behalf of CONCACAF.
The Bermuda FA asked members of CONCACAF to lobby FIFA to remove Blazer from his position on the FIFA Executive board. Blazer suggested that it was less to do with financial irregularities and more for his role in the removal of Jack Warner in the Caribbean Football Union corruption scandal: "I spent 21 years building the confederation and its competitions and its revenues and I'm the one responsible for its good levels of income. I'm perfectly satisfied that I did an excellent job. I think this is a reflection of those who were angry at me having caused the action against Warner. This is also a reaction by people who have their own agenda. I now have to consider what my options are but to say the least I am very disappointed."
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