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Chuck Blazer could become focus of Fifa investigation

Pa,Martyn Ziegler
Wednesday 15 June 2011 05:36 EDT
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The heads of 11 Caribbean associations have written to FIFA's ethics committee
The heads of 11 Caribbean associations have written to FIFA's ethics committee (GETTY IMAGES)

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Officials at the centre of a FIFA investigation have made a complaint against Chuck Blazer, the whistleblower who sparked the bribery scandal that has rocked football's world governing body.

The heads of 11 Caribbean associations have written to FIFA's ethics committee calling on them to investigate Blazer over remarks he was alleged to have made in a meeting in Zurich on May 31.

Blazer, the USA's FIFA member, is the secretary general of the CONCACAF federation and it was he who set in train the investigation that led to the suspension of fellow FIFA members Jack Warner and Mohamed Bin Hammam on bribery charges.

He told Press Association Sport that he has no concerns about the complaint and will be responding to the ethics committee.

According to the letter of complaint, a copy of which has been seen by Press Association Sport, Blazer told the members at the meeting they were all under investigation over claims that the 25 members of the Caribbean Football Union had each been paid or offered 40,000 US dollars in bribes by Warner and Bin Hammam.

The letter states: "The statement of Mr Blazer flouts the principle of a natural or legal person being innocent before being proven guilty."

It says Blazer "violated the personal rights" of Captain Horace Burrell, the president of the Jamaican Football Federation - Blazer had blocked him becoming active vice-president of CONCACAF.

It also alleges Blazer "discriminated against Capt Burrell and certain members of the CONCACAF through his contemptuous and denigratory words since all the persons who were singled out were of a specific race".

Blazer said tonight: "I have no concerns about this and everything will answered properly to the ethics committee."

FIFA sources say the complaint was made through the Jamaican FA.

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