Fifa ethics committee procedures against Warner have been dropped
Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has resigned, world football's governing body has confirmed.
"As a consequence of Mr Warner's resignation, all ethics
committee procedures against him have been closed and the presumption of
innocence is maintained," said a Fifa statement.Warner was suspended pending an investigation into bribery allegations.
He and fellow Fifa member Mohamed Bin Hammam are alleged to have paid bribes of £600,000 to Caribbean associations.
Chuck Blazer, general secretary of the Concacaf federation
Warner had been president of, alleged that violations of Fifa's code of
ethics occurred during a meeting organised by Bin Hammam and Warner in
May.
Blazer's allegations were preceded by claims made in parliament by the former head of England's failed 2018 World Cup bid, Lord Triesman, about irregularities in the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup.Triesman, who was also former chairman of the Football Association, accused Warner and three other Fifa Executive Committee members of improper conduct during England's 2018 World Cup bid.
According to Triesman, in exchange for voting for England to host the World Cup, Warner had asked for cash to build an education centre in Trinidad and to buy World Cup television rights for Haiti.
The 68-year-old had been the longest-serving member of Fifa's executive committee, and a Fifa statement continued: "Fifa regrets the turn of events that have led to Mr Warner's decision.
"His resignation has been accepted by world football's governing body, and his contribution to international football and to Caribbean football in particular and the Concacaf confederation are appreciated and acknowledged.
Fifa in May opened "ethics proceedings" against Warner and Bin Hammam but Warner insisted he was not guilty of a "single iota of wrongdoing."
Football's governing body then suspended Warner and former Fifa presidential candidate Bin Hammam on 29 May, pending an investigation into claims they had offered bribes to members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).
Despite claims by Bin Hammam that Fifa President Sepp Blatter was aware of payments made to the CFU, and that he too should be investigated, Fifa' ethics committee stated that "no investigation is warranted" of Blatter.
Following Bin Hammam's suspension, Blatter went on to run unopposed in the Fifa presidential election, despite efforts by the FA to have the election suspended amid the corruption allegations that had engulfed the sport's world governing body.
Seventeen member associations supported the FA's request for a delay, but Blatter was re-elected for a fourth term after receiving 186 of the 203 votes.
Despite the controversy that has surrounded Fifa and Warner since May, the governing body's statement concluded:
"Mr Warner is leaving Fifa by his own volition after nearly 30 years of service.
"The Fifa Executive Committee, the Fifa President and the Fifa management thank Mr Warner for his services to Caribbean, Concacaf and international football over his many years devoted to football at both regional and international level, and wish him well for the future."
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