Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley says he is not surprised at the latest developments surrounding former FIFA vice president, Austin “Jack” Warner, as he had strenuously denounced the “appointment of Jack Warner to the cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago” in 2010.
“I took objection to Jack Warner being appointed to the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago and the reason being, not that I had a problem with people… electing whom they want to elect to serve them you know, but I made the point that when you’re talking about a Cabinet member, you cannot have a gentleman who had that kind of reputation and worse, a job at FIFA and I told this country that his involvement at FIFA could and would embarrass Trinidad and Tobago,” Rowley said.
Last Thursday, a defiant Warner said he would continue to fight his extradition to the United States to answer corruption charges, even after London’s Privy Council ruled that the extradition proceedings are not unlawful.
The former football administrator, businessman and politician also defended the decision by FIFA to give preference to South Africa, Russia and Qatar to host World Cup Finals. The award of the 2018 World Cup Final to Russia was among the issues at the center of corruption allegations against the 79-year-old Warner who is facing 12 charges of wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering.
The Privy Council, Trinidad and Tobago’s highest court of appeal, dismissed Warner’s lawyers’ contention that the extradition proceedings in the magistrate’s court were unlawful, thus paving the way for the matter to resume.
Warner, who also served as CONCACAF president, is one of 14 people charged in connection with what US prosecutors said was a 24-year scheme designed to “enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer”.
The US Department of Justice claims that from as far back as 1990, Warner leveraged his influence and exploited his official positions for personal gain. He is accused of receiving five million US dollars in bribes to vote for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup.
Prime Minister Rowley, addressing the Women’s League of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) in San Fernando, on Sunday, told the audience that when he was appointed Opposition Leader following the 2010 general election that brought the People’s Partnership government to office headed by Kamla Persad Bissessar, his first order of business was to oppose the selection of Warner into the cabinet.
CMC/
