December 9 – The walls are closing in on former FIFA vice president and Concacaf president Jack Warner. Having lost his appeal against extradition to the US, earlier this week he lost a first round legal battle with Concacaf over a long running dispute concerning the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence in Macoya, Trinidad.
The Centre of Excellence has long been a contentious issue, with Warner claiming that the facility was gifted to him by former FIFA president Havelange while Concacaf claim that the facility was actually provided for the confederation and for the use of all its members.
Earlier this year Warner had listed the sale of the Centre of Excellence privately with a real estate agency, Zipcode Properties Trinidad, in Port of Spain.
The listing price was $39 million.
The property assets were listed as follows:
- Approx 26 Acres (1,150,000 sf)
- Freehold land
- Industrial area /Commercial use
- Price 275M ($239 / sf)
- Annual Revenue pre-Covid
Combination of tenants and events between 12-15M over a period of 3 years
- Currently in negotiations with claimant for an out of court settlement
Comprising of:
- Indoor Facility Building
-Ground floor 113,578 sq ft
– First Floor 48,230 sq ft
Stadium Facility
– Grand Stand
Ground floor 12285 s ft
First Floor 4638 sq ft
Second Floor 594 sq ft
Third Floor 1234 sq ft
One (1) Olympic / FIFA approved sized football field with artificial turf
- Garden Sanctuary
Main covered building and uncovered terrace area 4320 sq ft
Detached bar 225 sq ft
Office building 300 sq ft
Washroom facilities 456 sq ft
- Swimming Pool Complex
One (1) Olympic sized pool
One (1) smaller pool
Pavilion
Ground floor 2353 sq ft
First Floor 1050 sq ft
Toilet and shower facilities
Administration office facilities
Pump and electrical room
Total sq footage of building areas 4025 sq ft
Hotel
30951 sq ft as follows:
Ground floor 18188 sq ft
First floor 10319 sq ft
Second floor 2444 sq ft
Electrical Kiosks
Chiller systems
Washroom facilities
Guard Huts
Unused / unoccupied land – grass
Approx. 2 acres
Car park facility – asphalt paved
530 car spaces
Concacaf argues that Warner, his wife and the companies (who are named as owners of the property) were involved in a conspiracy to misappropriate Concacaf funds which were used to build the facility by misrepresenting that the facility was actually owned by Concacaf.
Warner’s wife and the companies, Renraw Investments Limited and CCAM and Company Limited argued the case, filed in 2016, was statute barred as it concerned conduct which took place between 1995 and 2011.
High Court Judge Robin Mohammed dismissed an application from two companies owned by Warner’s family and his wife Maureen to remove them from the US$37.8 million lawsuit which was brought against them, Warner, Warner’s accountant Kenny Rampersad and Rampersad’s accounting firm, reported the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian,
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