In the face of mounting public pressure, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced last night that she had accepted National Security Minister Jack Warner’s offer of resignation and has appointed Minister Emmanuel George as his replacement.
Her announcement came after a near five-hour emergency Cabinet meeting at her Phillipine residence, which was attended by Warner.
At 7.30 pm, Persad-Bissessar emerged from the meeting, which began at 2 pm, and issued a brief statement to the media on hand.
“I just wish to say that I have accepted the resignation of Jack Warner as Minister of National Security,” she told reporters, who had camped out outside her home all day after learning of the emergency talks she planned for her party.
“I have advised his Excellency Mr (Anthony) Carmona to appoint Senator Emmanuel George as Minister of National Security and to add to the portfolio of Minister (Dr Suruj) Rambachan, in addition to his portfolio, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure,” she said.
This announcement came two days after a damning Concacaf report, prepared by Barbadian Sir David Simmons, revealed alleged incidences of fraud and misappropriation of funds under Warner’s tenure as Concacaf president.
Yesterday, Persad-Bissessar told reporters she was now only waiting to sign the document rescinding Warner’s appointment and approving George’s appointment.
Asked if accepting Warner’s resignation was difficult, Persad-Bissessar said: “All decisions are difficult.”
Warner, the MP for Chaguanas West, is also the United National Congress chairman.
Persad-Bissessar said, however, that his post at the UNC is “not a post that I can take away from Mr Warner.”
In explaining her choice for National Security Minister, the PM said George was a “competent minister” who has “experience” and “long years of service in the Public Service.”
“He understands the working of government from being a public servant as a permanent secretary and as a minister,” she said.
Yesterday, Warner arrived at the emergency meeting at 3 pm carrying a white folder.
At 3.15 pm, Congress of the People (COP) leader Prakash Ramadhar, COP chairman Carolyn-Seepersad Bachan and COP minister Dr Lincoln Douglas left the conference room and chatted briefly before they left in separate vehicles.
They did not stop to acknowledge journalists waiting outside the Prime Minister’s gates.
Warner was seen walking in and out of the conference room at different intervals, as Persad-Bissessar and members of the Cabinet held discussions. He was also seen sitting outside with his head propped in his hand and wore a long face for most of the time he was there. Several of his Cabinet and party colleagues were also seen offering him support at intervals.
At 4.25 pm, Warner went into the room and emerged an hour later with somber look.
After he entered his Prado, two of his security officers mounted the running board of the heavily-tinted van and bodily blocked photographers and cameramen from getting photos of Warner inside his vehicle.
The former minister, usually one to field media questions, also did not acknowledge the media as he vehicle cruised past on its way out.
The T&T Guardian understands Warner subsequently headed into Port-of-Spain where he immediately cleared his desk at the ministry.
Efforts to contact Warner last night were unsuccessful as calls to his cellphone went unanswered.
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Austin Jack Warner resigns.
By Susan Mohammed (Express).
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar last night announced she had “accepted the offer of resignation” of embattled Minister of National Security Jack Warner.
Persad-Bissessar named Emmanuel George as the new National Security Minister.
George’s Works and Infrastructure portfolio was assigned to Suruj Rambachan, in addition to his (Rambachan’s) duties as Minister of Local Government.
The Prime Minister spoke to the media at her private residence in Phillipine, San Fernando, around 8 p.m. and by that time she had not yet received Warner’s resignation.
Warner had left her residence some three hours before her announcement.
“I have accepted the offer of resignation from Jack Warner as Minister of National Security,” Persad-Bissessar said.
Asked if the resignation was of immediate effect, the Prime Minister replied: “I am awaiting the document for signature, but I have already informed His Excellency (President Anthony Carmona) by telephone. So it would take effect once my signature is attached to that document.”
Warner’s resignation followed numerous calls for him to step down as a Government minister, or for Persad-Bissessar to take action.
Warner, whose name has been at the centre of allegations of financial mismanagement while president of Concacaf and vice-president of FIFA, did not speak to reporters on his way out.
Warner had resigned from all football posts in 2011 in the wake of a cash-for-votes bribery scandal involving fellow FIFA official Mohamed bin Hammam and members of the Caribbean Football Union, of which Warner was also president.
On Friday in Panama, chairman of the Concacaf Integrity Committee Sir David Simmons revealed a detailed report into allegations of million-dollar financial mismanagement by Warner and former Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer.
A delegate at the Concacaf Congress in Panama described Warner and Blazer as “white-collar thieves”.
The Prime Minister spoke to the media at her residence yesterday several hours after Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament were seen entering and exiting her gates from early afternoon, after word of an emergency meeting at her home.
Most of the Cabinet Ministers and MPs remained tight-tipped when questioned at the Prime Minister’s gates about what had been discussed.
Speculation that the meeting was to discuss Warner being fired, or handing in his resignation, was confirmed when Ramona Ramdial, Minister in the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, told the media when asked about the meeting: “I think you all already know what it is about.”
Minister of Community Development Winston “Gypsy” Peters confirmed to the media that Warner was discussed at the meeting.
Minister of Legal Affairs and political leader of the Congress of the People (COP) Prakash Ramadhar arrived at the residence around 2.30 p.m. and left the Prime Minister’s house 45 minutes later, together with COP chairman Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan and Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Lincoln Douglas.
Ramadhar, Seepersad-Bachan and Douglas spent several minutes speaking in the car park of the residence, before leaving in separate vehicles.
On Saturday, Ramadhar issued a statement calling for Warner to step down or for him to be removed from Government.
The previous day, Seepersad-Bachan distanced the party from a statement by Minister of Communications Jamal Mohammed that Warner had the full support of his Cabinet colleagues.
Yesterday, Warner arrived at Persad-Bissessar’s home around 3 p.m. and left some two and a half hours later.
During that time he was seen in the porch area of the house holding papers in his hands, sitting and speaking with fellow ministers and entering and exiting the house.
Around 4.20 p.m., he entered the house and remained for an hour, before he exited and went into his vehicle and left the premises with two members of his security detail “riding shotgun”.
His vehicle did not stop for him to speak to reporters although the media signalled their interest to speak with him.
The Prime Minister was asked if Warner would remain as chairman of the United National Congress, of which she is political leader, and she replied: “That is not a post that I can take away. That is up to Mr Warner.”
Warner is also MP for Chaguanas West.
She said she would continue with her trip to Canada on Tuesday for a state visit, since it was planned three months ago and “we would have to honour our commitment there”.
Asked about her decision to name George as National Security Minister, she replied: “He has experience as a minister. He has experience and long years of public service.”
‘I accept the resignation’
Following is the statement made last night by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announcing the resignation of Minister of National Security Jack Warner:
“I have today accepted the offer of resignation of the Minister of National Security, Mr Jack Warner from the Cabinet of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
I wish to thank Mr Warner for his service to the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago.
I have advised His Excellency President Anthony Carmona to revoke the appointment of Mr Warner and to appoint Senator the Honourable Mr Emanuel George as Minister of National Security.
I have also advised His Excellency President Anthony Carmona to assign the portfolio of Works and Infrastructure to the Honourable Dr Suruj Rambachan in addition to his existing portfolio.”
Hon Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP
Prime Minister