Four Caribbean officials banned over corruption

Four Caribbean football officials have been banned, including one for 18 months, for their part in a cash-for-votes scandal in the run-up to this year’s Fifa presidential election.

Two other officials were reprimanded and fined by Fifa, one was reprimanded and another five were given warnings.

The longest ban from all football-related activity was handed to Franka Pickering, president of the British Virgin Islands FA, who was also fined 500 Swiss francs (£350).

The cases are related to a meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on 10 and 11 May where it was alleged that Fifa presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam handed out bribes to Caribbean members of CONCACAF – the regional body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Former Asian football chief Bin Hammam has since been banned for life by Fifa but has protested his innocence along with ex-CONCACAF president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago. Warner was also under investigation by Fifa for allegedly offering bribes but resigned before the probe was completed.

Bin Hammam withdrew his candidacy before the Fifa presidential vote, allowing Sepp Blatter to be re-elected for a fourth successive term.

Fifa also banned Horace Burrell of Jamaica for six months, three of which are suspended for a probationary period of two years. Osiris Guzman (Dominican Republic) and Ian Hypolite (St Vincent and the Grenadines) were suspended for 30 days, 15 of which are suspended for six months, and fined 300 francs each. Aubrey Liburd (British Virgin Islands) and Hillaren Frederick (US Virgin Islands) were reprimanded and fined 300 francs while Anthony Johnson (St Kitts and Nevis) was reprimanded. David Hinds and Mark Bob Forde (both Barbados), Richard Groden (Trinidad & Tobago), Yves Jean-Bart (Haiti) and Horace Reid (Jamaica) were warned.