PANAMA CITY, Panama — A CONCACAF commissioned Integrity Committee has presented a damning report that has found former president Austin ‘Jack’ Warner and general secretary Chuck Blazer liable of “gross impropriety” amounting to millions of US dollars.

At Friday’s 38th CONCACAF Congress at the Westin Playa Bonita resort here, chair of the independent committee Sir David Simmons gave facts occasioned by an intense investigation that both men were found to have acted outside of their fiduciary responsibilities and best practices.

“I have just recounted the sad tale of CONCACAF of people who have enriched themselves and we can only hope that our report will help to shape the future of CVONCACAF,” Sir David said to a packed house, including FIFA president Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter.

In the case of Warner, who served as president of the sub-continental body for many years leading up to his resignation in the wake of the cash-for-vote scandal, was found to have reportedly improperly spent some US$26 million to develop the Joa Havelange Centre of Excellence in his native Trinidad and Tobago, plus millions more in supposed follow-up work and maintenance.

According to the results of the Ethics Committee probe, it was found that the Centre of Excellence was built on lands allegedly owned by Warner-run companies and there’s no evidence on the books that CONCACAF owns the property, while being led to believe it does until recently.

Warner is currently the Minister of Security in his native, Trinidad and Tobago.

Blazer, who also resigned as allegations swirled around his office as general secretary, was deemed to have rewarded himself with hefty pay-outs in “questionable deals” including using CONCACAF funds to purchase high-end apartments in New York and Florida for his personal use.

In addition to Sir David, who served as the 12th Chief Justice of Barbados from 2002 to 2010, the Integrity Committee is comprised of Judge Ricardo Urbina, a retired United States District Court Judge for the District of Columbia; and Ernesto Hempe, a retired partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

CONCACAF announced the formation of the Integrity Committee following a meeting of its Executive Committee on September 13 in Mexico City. The Integrity Committee was presented with CONCACAF’s Terms of Reference and was given oversight of all investigations pertaining to the previous administration in order to rectify and ensure clarity regarding all pending issues within the newly reformed Confederation.

— Sean Williams