Acting CONCACAF head asks Blazer to explain role

Published May. 30, 2011 11:46 p.m. ET

foxsports

CONCACAF's acting president has asked Chuck Blazer to explain why he turned over evidence that sparked one of the worst corruption scandals in FIFA's 107-year history.

Lisle Austin, CONCACAF's senior vice president, said he sent Blazer a letter Monday asking the American for proof he was acting at the request of the federation's executive committee when he gave FIFA a file outlining bribery allegations against Jack Warner and Mohamed bin Hammam. Only the executive committee could authorize such an action, Lisle said.

Warner, the longtime CONCACAF president and a FIFA vice president, and bin Hammam were temporarily suspended Sunday over allegations they gave Caribbean soccer leaders $40,000 each in exchange for their votes in this week's FIFA presidential election. Bin Hammam, a Qatari who leads Asia's soccer confederation, had been Sepp Blatter's only challenger in Wednesday's election. He withdrew early Sunday before the ethics committee hearing.

Warner and bin Hammam now face a full FIFA inquiry. If found guilty, they could be expelled from FIFA and banned from all soccer activity.

Austin also said he wants CONCACAF, which represents soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, to cease its dealings with John P. Collins, a former federal prosecutor who conducted the investigation for Blazer. Collins represents CONCACAF, and also sits on FIFA's legal committee.