(Trinidad Express) Scandal-plagued Austin Jack Warner, the man seeking to pull off his political comeback in Chaguanas West, actively solicited and received millions of dollars from wealthy business interests that do work for the State.
Sunday Express investigations into Warner’s activities found that the former football power broker engaged in an improper solicitation of funds from private business interests in his official capacity as a government minister in 2010 and 2011.
Documents obtained by this newspaper show that Warner wrote to contractors and other business interests in his official capacity as Minister of Works and Infrastructure asking them to make generous donations to a private company in which he once held an interest and in which one of his employees, Joanne Mora is a controlling shareholder and managing director.
Warner, according to correspondence obtained by the Sunday Express, wrote to wealthy business interests, including contracting tycoon Junior Sammy on November 29, 2011, asking for contributions to help pay for a planned Ministry of Works Christmas party on December 20, 2011 at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya. He called on business stakeholders to make generous donations to a bank account at RBC held in the name of JLM Quality Services Ltd, a private company in which he was a director up to October 31, 2007.
He cited the “generous contributions” made the previous year and requested, in the single page letter signed, “Jack Warner, Minister” on an official Ministry of Works and Infrastructure letterhead that: “I am once again asking for your help to make this year’s celebrations just as memorable, or even more so than last year’s. The total cost of the event is $1.9 million.” More than $9.5 million was paid into the account over a 17-month period stretching from August 3, 2010 to December 8, 2011, according to bank statements seen by this reporter.
Warner, who hired Mora on a three-year contract in September 2010 as head, research and policy formation in the Ministry of Works, in his fundraising push to business interests that bid on lucrative State work, noted: “In anticipation to your positive response to my humble request, you may make your contribution by cheque payable to JLM Quality Services Ltd or alternatively, you can also pay directly to our suppliers and in this case, Ms Carol Parris, executive assistant in my office, will be more than happy to provide details on the various payments.”
He listed several contact numbers for Parris, including her direct line and mobile.
Two contractors, who spoke to the Sunday Express on condition of strict anonymity, reported being called and asked: “how much?” and “how soon?” they could make the requested payments to the private Warner-associated company.
It is not known how much, if any, of the solicited funds went towards the Ministry of Works official Christmas party. Warner did not immediately respond to a Sunday Express request for comment on his improper solicitation of funds and his former permanent secretary Cheryl Blackman, who was herself the centre of a controversial all-expenses Warner-paid-for trip to Jamaica, refused to be drawn on the issue.
“You see me, I have left the service. I prefer not to comment on those things,” she said.
Pressed on whether she knew about Warner’s improper approach to wealthy individuals and groups that do business or seek to do business with the State, the recently retired high-ranking public official said: “I would rather not answer,” before terminating the call. Mora, who describes herself as a “chief administration officer” in the Warner Group of Companies on her LinkedIn profile did not answer her phone or return messages left on her voice messaging service.
Mora, whose contracted position was downgraded to senior researcher, Ministry of Works in 2011 following a complaint from the Chief Personnel Officer that her degree in agriculture failed to meet the minimum qualification requirement in social sciences, economics or planning and management, withdrew half a million dollars from the JLM bank account on May 25, 2011 at a time when she was a full-time employee of the State, according to bank statements seen by the Sunday Express.
It is not clear what the money was used for or all of the business interests that made payments to the private bank account, ostensibly to help with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure annual Christmas party. Warner is seen making a deposit in the amount of $40,000 on August 27, 2011. A similar deposit is recorded November 2, 2011 for the same amount in the name of Jack and Maureen Warner.
Mora, who received a monthly salary of $16,500 including perks from her government paid job, is also listed as a director in two Warner family-associated private companies, Jessco Holdings Ltd and Arouca Cultural Development Committee. Warner’s wife, Maureen and two sons, Daryan and Darryl are also listed as directors of Jessco. Warner is named as a director of the Arouca Cultural Company. Hubert Johnson is the minority shareholder and the other named director of JLM Quality Services Ltd.
Interestingly, the Registrar General’s Department, in issuing him with a notice of failure to file the requisite annual returns under the Companies Act 1995 in May 2011, wrote to him, not at the registered business address of JLM on Lopinot Road in Arouca but at 113 Eastern Main Road, in Arouca—the business address for seven Warner family-associated companies. They are: Jane Public Ltd, Jamad Ltd (one of the companies used to siphon money out of Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation’s bank accounts), Hand To Mouth Ltd, D’Coal pot Ltd (renamed Eat While Hot Ltd), Forbiz Ltd, Kantac Ltd and Eastern Agricultural Resorts.
Sources familiar with Warner’s business empire reported that Joanne Mora was a front for some of Warner’s business dealings.
