US not giving T&T info on Warner probe

(Trinidad Express) The Government has admitted to not being successful in obtaining information from United States authorities, regarding alleged Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) probes into National Security Minister Jack Warner, through established diplomatic channels.
This was disclosed yesterday as both Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan seek to get clear answers on serious allegations against their cabinet colleague.
And in a statement Prime Minister, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said: “Unfortunately, whilst there has been great diplomatic cooperation, attempts to elicit further information and clarification have thus far not been successful.”
The PM also added that following the news story by Reuters on Wednesday that Daryan Warner, son of the National Security Minister, was a “cooperating witness” with the FBI into alleged corruption in international football, she immediately instructed the Foreign Affairs Minister to pursue the matter though diplomatic channels.
The Reuters article, written by Mark Hosenball and which was transmitted throughout the world, also indicated that the IRS had joined the investigation into possible violations of tax laws and wire and mail fraud, involving US$500,000 in payments by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) over the past 20 years (the same period Warner headed the CFU) to an offshore company headed by US football official Chuck Blazer.
The Prime Minister said she “further directed the Attorney General to write his counterpart, the US Attorney General, Eric Holder Jr, directly to seek his personal intervention in the matter so that there can be official confirmation of the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged investigation”.
Facing mounting pressure to take action against her Cabinet minister, the PM said, “It would be premature if not prejudicial for me to act without any official clarification or confirmation from the US authorities on this controversial and sensitive matter”.
Persad-Bissessar said she is committed to upholding the high ethical standards which the public legitimately and rightly expects of her Government, but said she was “equally mindful that the commitment to the rule of law requires balance and respect for the presumption of innocence”.
She has promised to make an informed decision in this matter once the facts are established.
The Prime Minister’s statement was issued hours after Ramlogan told the media at Phagwa celebrations at Tunapuna Hindu Primary School yesterday that he had in fact written to US Attorney General Holder and is awaiting a response.
Ramlogan admitted that “the Government has been exhausting all diplomatic channels with the United States Government” and that he had been in contact with the US Ambassador in Port of Spain, and T&T’s Ambassador to the US, Neil Parsan.
“These are very serious allegations that are swirling in the international and local media, but before one can act one must establish officially what the facts are,” he said.
The AG said when a response is forthcoming and when the facts are established, “ I have no doubt the Government will deliberate on the matter and take a position.”
“We appreciate the seriousness of the allegation, we appreciate the implications and ramifications of it, but we equally appreciate the fact that there is a presumption of innocence,” Ramlogan added.
“The media has gotten it wrong in the past, whether local or international, and a matter as serious as this, one must respect the principle of do unto others as you have them do unto you.”
Ramlogan warned it would be improper for the Government and the Prime Minister to act without official verification and confirmation of what the facts are from the government of the United States of America.
“If every time there is an allegation published you act without seeking verification, you’re going to run into serious problems,” he cautioned.
The AG is confident that the Prime Minister will take action in the matter once the facts are ascertained and pointed to her firing of former ministers and diplomats when it became necessary.
“In the past the Prime Minister has established a track record unlike previous prime ministers for acting on the fact and taking swift and serious action when necessary.
“We have the example of Mary King, we have the example of Herbert Volney, we have the example of Therese Baptiste-Cornelis, we have the example of Collin Partap,” he said, adding that no other government has done this.
Ramlogan said the “Government is well aware of the high level of moral and ethical standards it has set for behaviour in public office, but was equally aware that our commitment to the rule of law is one that will not allow us to act on the basis of what is published in the media without seeking official verification of the facts”.