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Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner said yesterday he planned to take legal action against Sir David Simmons over the Concacaf Integrity Committee report which Simmons produced for the regional football body.

He was speaking at a news conference at his Independent Liberal Party (ILP) offices at Caroni Savannah Road, Chaguanas. Simmons’ damning report on Warner’s tenure as Concacaf boss sparked public discourse prior to his resignation in April as national security minister and chairman of the United National Congress (UNC).

Asked for more details of his plan to sue, Warner said: "I will say more at the appropriate time." He said ILP members did not want to join the PP because they felt the Government was a failure. He said the only common ground shared by the ILP and the Government at the moment was that both were opposed to the PNM.

He said the ILP now planned to contest the local government elections and the 2015 general election. Two teams were now putting together a structured development plan for both elections, he said, and a national assembly of the party was planned for September 29, he added.

Warner said: “The ILP will be embarking on a leadership drive for persons interested in serving their country under the ILP banner. “We are not only looking in our leadership drive for councillors, aldermen, possible candidates for the general elections but we are also looking for persons interested in leading and we will be asking applicants to state clearly in their resume in what areas they possess the competence to lead.

“This is important because once a national pool of leaders has been identified, the ILP will run development courses for this team to institutionally strengthen their capacity when we advance to government.”

He said he planned to open ILP offices across the country to facilitate the recruitment drive. Warner also pointed out that ILP members did not want the party to join the People’s Partnership coalition and called for a by-election in the San Fernando East constituency.

The people of San Fernando East had an absentee MP in the person of Patrick Manning who had not represented his constituents for more than a year, he said. Manning, who suffered a stroke in January last year, has not attended a sitting of Parliament since then but has asked for and has been granted extended leaves of absence.

Warner said Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley was quick to call for a general election but instead should be calling for a by-election to get a competent replacement for Manning. Warner also said the days of COP leader Prakash Ramadhar were numbered as he was losing popularity.

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CONCACAF STATEMENT

CONCACAF unequivocally denies the allegation by Jack Warner that has been reported by the press that CONCACAF has given him permission to undertake or consented to any legal action by Mr. Warner against Sir David Simmons.  CONCACAF has had no discussions with Mr. Warner regarding, nor does it consent to the undertaking of, any legal action against Sir David Simmons, any other member of the Integrity Committee, any member or executive of CONCACAF or any member of the Football community.  CONCACAF fully supports the findings of the independent Integrity Committee.