PORT OF SPAIN: Further turmoil has hit crisis-battered Trinidad football with the resignation of Richard Groden as the local federation’s general secretary.

Groden’s departure came one week after controversial Jack Warner quit as National Security Minister following a highly-critical report into his financial stewardship of regional confederation CONCACAF.

Groden, who had been secretary for 15 years and served on various FIFA and CONCACAF committees, was reprimanded by the FIFA ethics committee in a cash-for-votes scandal in the spring of 2011.

Ex-TTFF president Oliver Camps also resigned in the wake of the scandal in which Caribbean football delegates were offered $40,000 dollars in cash as “expenses” after a FIFA presidential conference on behalf of Qatari Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Warner was long-time consultant to the TTFF.

A TTFF statement quoted Groden as saying: “During the 15 years I served the Federation I have seen many highpoints and some low points. There were indeed great moments.”

He felt this was an apppropriate time for TTFF president Raymond Tim Kee to appoint a new general secretary of his own choice.

Groden also wished the TTFF all the best, and expressed his willingness to lend his assistance in the future.

Meanwhile events from bad to worse for Warner who had not only resigned as a government Minister but stood down as MP for

Chaguanas West.

Warner quit only to stand again in the forthcoming byelection. But he is being disowned by the United National Congress party of which he is chairman and will have to do so as an independent.

Under UNC rules, Warner risks disciplinary action, as a party member, should he run as an independent candidate.

 

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