Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard has ordered the termination of investigations into an alleged bribery scandal involving Works Minister Jack Warner in his former capacity as president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) during a meeting at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, on May 10-11, 2011.
The DPP’s ruling was conveyed in a letter from the Police Service Commission (PSC), dated May 7, to the Leader of the Opposition Dr Keith Rowley. He had written to the PSC last year requesting the matter be investigated by the police.
In his first public comment on the matter yesterday, Warner told the T&T Guardian: “I guess that will make Fixin’ T&T and all my other detractors, including, Opposition MP Fitzgerald Hinds, very unhappy indeed.”
Warner said the entire allegation was part of “a deliberate campaign designed to demonise me by those who were opposed to me.” He said he won’t be distracted from his objective to serve the people of T&T as minister.
Warner then said he was very thankful to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar “for having kept the faith in me.” Rowley was among those who publicly called for a police investigation into the allegation last year.
Under the caption: Bribery Allegations against Mr Jack Austin Warner and others at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, on or about 10th and 11th May 2011, the letter stated in part: “The Commissioner of Police informed that the matter was investigated by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and “on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions, no further can be taken in this matter.”
The letter was signed by Mrs A M Andrews, who is the secretary of the PSC, on behalf of the Director of Personnel Administration.
The letter also confirmed that the PSC received a response, by letter dated March 21, 2012 from the Commissioner of Police, on the said police investigations. The PSC said it received the letter on April 12, 2012.
A secret report by FIFA’s Ethics Committee, which was published in Emgland’s Daily Telegraph, said there was “comprehensive, convincing and overwhelming evidence” to support claims that Warner and former FIFA executive Mohamed Bin Hammam colluded to pay bribes to football officials in the Caribbean for their votes in the then upcoming FIFA presidential elections.
It was alleged that the bribes took place at the CFU meeting when delegates from 25 countries were offered US$40,000 each in cash to vote for Bin Hammam, who was challenging incumbent FIFA president Sepp Blatter for the top job.
Warner and Bin Hammam were suspended from FIFA pending the completion of the scheduled hearing of the Ethics Committee. Warner subsequently resigned and his charges were dropped while Bin Hammam was found guilty and banned for life from FIFA.