(Trinidad Express) One month before the May 2010 general election, a company owned by former FIFA vice-president and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner paid Ross Advertising five cheques totalling TT$1,719, 215.75.
Ross is the advertising agency which handled the People’s Partnership’s 2010 election campaign.
On April 14, 2010, Jamad Ltd, whose address is 113 Edward Street, Port of Spain, wrote a cheque to Ross Advertising for TT$1 million.
On April 21, 2010, four other cheques of varying sums—TT$195,220.55, $155,250, $97,750 and TT$270,995.20 were also made out to Ross Advertising.
The cheques, which show Jamad’s home bank as Republic Bank, Tragarete Road, were all deposited on April 21 at Republic’s Long Circular Mall branch.
The cheques surfaced without explanation on social media yesterday, after they were allegedly leaked by Warner, with the promise of “more to come”. They also appear in the Sunshine newspaper.
What the cheques don’t state is what service Ross Advertising, owned by Ernie Ross, rendered for the People’s Partnership as no invoices were attached.
Given Ross’s relationship in handling the Partnership’s election campaign, do the cheques represent money which Warner pumped into the campaign?
Last Thursday, after he was released from prison, Warner stated at a political meeting that he intends to go after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and reveal all through a tape which he will give to four lawyers.
“Everything I have against Kamla I will bring it out. I have kept it back too long and I will bring it out,” Warner had said.
PM responds
The question was again put to the Prime Minister yesterday.
Last week, Persad-Bissessar said she never received any money from Warner to fund either her own or the United National Congress (UNC) election campaigns.
In a brief telephone call yesterday, she insisted: “I, Kamla, received no money from Jack Warner. That is the God’s truth. I cannot speak to any contractual arrangement the gentleman would have had with Ross Advertising or any other advertising agency.”
She did point out that as a candidate for Chaguanas West in the 2010 election, Warner funded his own campaign.
For his part, Ross would only say: “There is no comment. It’s a non-story. I have no other comment.”
Copies to Lynch
Leader of Government Business Roodal Moonilal said he intends to forward copies of the cheques in circulation to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
Last week Lynch announced that Warner was included in a 47-count indictment that was unsealed at the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging 14 defendants with “racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, among other offences, in connection with the defendants’ participation in a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through the corruption of international soccer.”
“I have taken note of cheques circulating reporting to be a cheque by Mr Warner. His name is not on it so I assume that it’s a company that he is affiliated to and made out to Ross Advertising and I just want to be clear that Mr Ross Advertising is free to conduct business with Mr Warner of with the many companies that Mr Warner is involved in,” said Moonilal.
“I am making a copy of that cheque and sending it personally to the US Attorney General Loretta Lynch. I am sure she’ll not only be interested in where the cheque went to but where the source of funds came from and I am asking Mr Warner to make more evidence available to Loretta Lynch who has a big interest in those matters,” he said.
“Mr Warner’s problem is not Kamla, its Loretta. I think the sooner he wakes up to that reality the better for him,” he said.
“The statement made by the Prime Minister stands unimpeachable. The Prime Minister herself has not received any money from Mr Warner, or the UNC. Ross Advertising works for several businesses and business persons. He is free as part of his commercial relationship to work with any client at any time,” he said.
Warner mum
Meanwhile, Warner is keeping the reasons for releasing the cheques close to his chest.
At least until tonight at 7:30 when his party hosts a political meeting.
In a text message response to the Express, Warner said yesterday: “No comment at this time. 7.30 p.m. tomorrow.”