(Trinidad Express) Jack Warner spent last night in the infirmary of the Frederick Street prison.
Even though Warner was granted TT$2.5 million bail to cover 12 criminal charges on which he is wanted in the United States, the controversial politician and former vice-president of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was made to spend last night at the Remand Prison at Frederick Street, Port of Spain, as he was unable to have his bail bond secured.
Twelve charges were read in court, but eight charges are on the indictment.
Warner was one of 14 people wanted by the US government in connection with allegations of bribery, money laundering, corruption and wire fraud conspiracy arising out of investigations conducted by the US government.
The offences were alleged to have taken place both in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago between 1990 and 2011 while Warner held the position of FIFA vice-president.
The Express was told Warner’s attorneys attempted to have an emergency sitting granted at the High Court last night, just one block away from the Magistrates’ Court, after the Clerk of the Peace did not approve the bail bond, but this was soon aborted.
At 5.15 p.m., Warner was taken from the courthouse and placed in a marked police vehicle, which transported him to prison. His wife Maureen, who was present during the hearing and was shielded from media photographers, wept as her husband, who was sandwiched between two police officers in the back of the police jeep, was driven away.
Crowds of onlookers gathered outside the courthouse to get a glimpse of the politician as he left the building.
Yesterday morning, seven top executives of FIFA were arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, on similar charges to those faced by Warner.
Along with his attorney, Fyard Hosein, SC, Warner surrendered himself to officers at Fraud Squad headquarters, corner Park and Richmond Streets, Port of Spain, around 2.30 p.m. He was brought to the court in a Nissan X-Trail SUV at 3.47 p.m. and appeared before Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar in the Eighth Court less than five minutes later.
As the charges were read, the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader stood with his hands clasped to his front. He was not called upon to plead to any of the charges, as they were all laid indictably.
Lawyer: Jack a model citizen
Hosein made an application for bail, saying the 72-year-old politician was of good character and a model citizen with no criminal record against his name. He said Warner was a former school teacher, special reserve police officer, minister of Works and Transport and also a former minister of National Security.
The attorney said bail with regard to extradition matters can be granted under Section 12(2) of the Bail Act. Hosein pointed out Warner voluntarily surrendered himself to officers and had not left Trinidad and Tobago for the past four years. This went to show Warner would not flee this jurisdiction if bail were granted, Hosein said.
Pamela Elder, SC, who along with attorneys Jagdeo Singh, Gerald Ramdeen and Richard Mason, appeared for the Central Authority, said even though Warner was accused of “several serious criminal offences”, given that the accused had a clean criminal record coupled with the fact that Warner could be granted bail under the Bail Act, she was not objecting to bail being granted. However, Elder said the Central Authority was requesting that if Warner was granted bail, conditions should be attached.
Hosein told the court a Justice of the Peace pre-approved a $1.9 million deed to be used as surety should Warner be granted bail.
“So does that mean that the court should grant bail that would be covered by a $1.9 million deed?” the magistrate asked.
The attorney said this was not the case. He said the amount of bail to be granted was in the hands of the court, but he was only indicating to the court that a deed had already been approved.
The bail was granted by the magistrate, but had to be approved by the Clerk of the Peace, which was not done.
In addition to the $2.5 million bail bond, Warner was also ordered to surrender his passport to the Clerk of the Peace and report to the Arouca Police Station every Monday and Friday. He will next return to court on July 9.
The Office of the Attorney General issued a news release saying yesterday morning the Central Authority of Trinidad and Tobago received a request from the United States Department of Justice for a provisional arrest warrant for the purposes of extradition of Warner.
It said under the treaty between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago, the US now has 60 days in which to produce a formal request for the extradition of Warner.
The charges
Among the charges faced by Warner are:
(a) One (1) count of conspiracy to knowingly agree to conduct or participate in racketeering activity, relating to wire fraud and other offences, which either engages in or affects interstate or foreign commerce, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d);
(b) Two (2) counts of conspiracy to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, including for the intangible right of honest services, using wire, radio, or television communications to execute such scheme or artifice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, 1346, and 1349;
(c) Two (2) counts of devising any scheme or artifice to defraud, using wire, radio, or television communications to execute such scheme or artifice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343;
(d) Two (2) counts of conspiring to transport, transmit and transfer monetary instruments and funds from places inside the United States to and through places outside the United States and to places in the United States from and through places outside the United States, with the intent to promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(2)(A) and 1956(h); and
(e) One (1) count of transporting, transmitting and transferring monetary instruments and funds from places inside the United States to and through places outside the United States and to places in the United States from and through places outside the United States, with the intent to promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(2)(A).
