Kamla: I refused to be blackmailed

This particular tape, featuring allegations of corruption against former minister of the people Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh and his instructions to Kristyan Gokool to go to her official St Ann's residence (which he has denied), was made on August 2013, about four months after Warner resigned from the Government.

Responding to questions sent by the Express yesterday by text, enquiring whether she was privy to the information on the audio tapes before it was aired by Warner, Persad-Bissessar said: “Yes. Immediately after he had resigned from my Cabinet on my request, when in the face of damning allegations about FIFA (including the Sir David Simmons Report), I requested that he go and clear his name. I was made aware of what was being alleged, in an effort to blackmail me into taking him back into Government. Indeed, the allegations featured in the Chaguanas by-election.”

Contrived and bogus allegations

Pressed on her blackmail statement, Persad-Bissessar said: “In light of all of these bogus and contrived allegations, what am I left to assume? As you are aware, he has been bragging that he has files on members of my Government, and immediately after his resignation and more recently, he has been coming to the public with contrived and bogus allegations. He asked to be reinstated in his Government position or else he will bring down my entire Government.”

Former minister of national security minister Gary Griffith is on record as saying he held informal talks with Warner to bridge the gap between him and the People's Partnership.

When the Express contacted Warner yesterday, asking if he attempted to use the recording to get back his job or form an alliance with the Partnership in the upcoming elections, he denied doing this.

Warner said: “I never ever bargained with Ms Persad-Bissessar or anyone else re these disclosures. There are only three people who I have given a copy of the tape—the Integrity Commission, about two years ago; a lawyer, three weeks ago; and Mark Bassant (TV6 reporter), two weeks ago. Kamla has no favours that I want, now or ever. Finally, I do wish to reiterate to the national community that the worst is yet to come.

“I never sent emissaries at any­ time to talk with Kamla but she did, and let her deny that and I will prove it.”

Arrest a plot by Partnership

Warner resigned as national security minister on April 21, 2013, following a damning report from chairman of the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Associations o Football) Integrity Committee Sir David Simmons, which revealed multimillion-dollar financial mismanagement by Warner and former Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer. Both men have been indicted by the United States on corruption charges.

Warner is on $2.5 million bail to cover eight criminal charges, on which he and 14 people are wanted in the United States in connection with allegations of bribery, money laundering, corruption and wire- fraud conspiracy, arising out of investigations conducted by the US government into operations at FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association).

But according to Warner, his arrest was a plot by the Partnership to silence him in the upcoming general election.

Declaring on May 27 “the gloves are off”, Warner also blamed the Partnership for him spending the night at the Frederick Street prison after he was unable to secure bail.

Since then, Warner has held two news conferences, airing voice recordings directly aimed at Persad-Bissessar and the People's Partnership.

Warner, who first made the claim of a marijuana find at Persad-Bissessar's private Phillipine residence, held a news conference on June 16 to defend his claim, insisting she was out of the country at the time of the discovery and wanted to resign when told of the discovery.

Persad-Bissessar has denied wanting to resign her job as Prime Minister and described Warner as “delusional”.

Warner also threw out the question “Who is Kristyan?” to Persad- Bissessar last Wednesday, at a political meeting in San Fernando.

Warner said: “Kamla, for your sake and the country sake, tell them who is Kristyan. That is all. Tell the country who is Kristyan, Kamla. I go further to tell you to tell Jit Hardeen, a special reserve police (SRP) offi­cer; ask him to tell us who is Kristyan because if she does not and he does not in two weeks' time I will.”

Persad-Bissessar has said Kristyan Gokool is her neighbour and has attended functions at her home and the official residence at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.

Investigations by the Express have found Gokool bought a $6 million mansion next door to Persad-Bissessar's private Phillipine residence but has never lived in the house.

Persad-Bissessar has denied knowing Hardeen but said she was informed he was the driver of Ramadharsingh.

PM, Hardeen lash Jack.
By Gail Alexander (Guardian)

Immediate dismissals from Jitnarine Hardeen and the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

That’s what embattled Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner received yesterday following his latest tapes, alleged to be former minister Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh’s former driver Hardeen doing a wide-ranging “expose” on alleged People’s Partnership intrigue and corruption, including involving the Prime Minister.

During a news conference at the Normandie, St Ann’s, Warner played the tapes, focusing on the Kristyan Gokool matter, again claiming he had to warn T&T about the Prime Minister, since she was “unfit for office.”

“The Prime Minister says Kristyan Gokool is her neighbour I’m saying they are more than neighbourly,” Warner claimed.

However, when contacted on Warner’s tapes later, an angry sounding Hardeen said: “That is not my voice on any tape! It is a total fabrication.

“There will be a response from me on this very soon, That’s all I have to say for now.”

Hardeen added on what action he would take against Warner.

Persad-Bissessar, in an immediate response to Warner’s various claims, also dismissed the allegation, saying last night they are “more delusional claims which my lawyers will deal with.

“He (Warner) has to answer to the US Attorney General and the FBI for his racketeering, money laundering and fraudulent wire transfers, so he seeks to come out of his box with these delusional claims.”

Asked yesterday by reporters if he had any information to verify it was Hardeen on the tapes, Warner said if the need arose for other evidence “they shall be produced.”

Warner said he had given the same tapes to the Integrity Commission since 2013 and the tapes allegedly told of “sleaze, graft, corruption, sexual misconduct and misbehaviour in public office.”

Asked if he had made a complaint to the commission about the PM and Ramadharsingh—on which his claims focussed—Warner said he gave the Integerity Commission the tapes and said “...make your own judgement... I don’t have to make a complaint.” He said he didn’t go to the police as the police may have been compromised.

Warner said after two years nothing had happened and when he checked the commission a year ago, the body said they had to match Hardeen’s voice with the tape through overseas sources.

He complained at length that while the commission had failed to deal with the matter, it wanted to ask him questions and had sought a tribunal to investigate him.

On the alleged “Hardeen tape,” Warner claimed Hardeen detailed allegations in a taped session at Warner’s office in Arouca on August 8, 2013, where the police officer came “of his own volition.”

Warner resigned from Government in April 2013 under fire for alleged corruption after a Concacaf probe.

Playing 17 minutes of an alleged 90-minute tape yesterday, Warner was heard instructing the person to state his name and address.

The person gives Hardeen’s name. Warner is then heard asking the person to tell him about the minister’s “houses, the corruption, apartments, the deals they make, with Danny’s son going through security, tell me everything, tell me everything...”

The person on the tape starts off with allegations about Ramadharsingh, in which Warner’s voice can be heard also interjecting and summarising information.

The voice claimed on one night he was told to go to a nearby hotel to collect someone, as “Dip Centre security wouldn’t let them enter with their private vehicle.”

The person claimed it was a “fair-skinned Indian fella.” They claimed the DC security “saw someone in the backseat and knew I left without anyone.” The voice claimed the security sought the person’s name and it was given.

The person claimed the passenger “said he was the assistant to the PM’s husband, Greg, and he came to pick up some clothes.”

The person on the tape claimed authorisation to enter was given and around 2.30 am someone allegedly came out and said “it was time for us to go home, Kristyan can fix up now...”

Warner alleged to reporters that the Diplomatic Centre sentry diaries were changed to hide this matter.

Warner also said he had heard “they” had contacted Hardeen to swear to an affidavit to say what was on the tapes was false.

He claimed Hardeen subsequently called him three times and he taped all three calls on June 1, June 9 and June 16, 2015.

He played those tapes of the voice, purportedly of Hardeen, in which the caller asked if Warner had (on the platform) asked if “Kristyan” ever spent a night by the PM residence” and saying Warner didn’t want to meet him.

“You know they watching me... they watching me, from the time I enter (the Centre of Excellence) they go lick me up, you know that,” the voice said.

I have more tapes—Jack

After this, he claimed a good friend of the PM sought a meeting with him at the Works Ministry and allegedly accused Warner of bias towards Jusamco and Coosals in getting contracts.

Warner alleged that in 2011 the PM shut down the Ministry of Works’ PURE unit for an audit because of complaints from that friend. He claimed contracts had to be approved by her, “which made things testy” between them and in June 2012 he was transferred to National Security.

Warner claimed there were more tapes and while he would not play them each week, he would decide when prudently and then “more Special Branch officers will have to resign.”

The person taped also alleged a former minister had six houses and he was responsible for making payments, that monies allegedly came from a well known government contractor, including $3 million in four months, and that two named ministry managers were aware of the situation.

The person alleged the government contractor “benefitted from URP programmes, had 52 companies and got 70 per cent of URP and the former minister’s brother became adviser to another minister, whose appointment the former minister knew about before the PM announced it.

The person also claimed a minister’s relative managed a government-run social programme in Sangre Grande.

The person alleged a former minister got a “$2 million kickback” from the Preysal Interchange but this was put in UNC’s accounts as the minister “stole” money from UNC’s 2010 campaign.

The taped voice claimed UNC general secretary Dave Tancoo was told of the situation and he told the PM.

He offered me $.25m to lie.
By Renuka Singh (Guardian).

Hardeen counters Jack’s claim:

Special Reserve Police Officer Jitnarine Hardeen is denying outright that it is his voice heard on a recording played for the media by Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner yesterday. Hardeen issued a legal letter to Warner yesterday threatening action.

“There is no truth in any of these allegations nor the contents of any of your statements, nor the contents of the tape or tapes,” Hardeen said through his lawyer.

Hardeen, who was the retained driver for former minister of social development Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, yesterday countered Warner’s damning recording of telephone conversations, alleging that Warner in fact offered him some $250,000 to agree that the voice on tape was his.

In a three-page legal letter, Hardeen’s attorney, Dennis Rampersad, picked apart Warner’s tape, denying every bit of the alleged conversation between Hardeen and Warner.

Hardeen, through his lawyer, confirmed he has been in contact with Warner but said it was Warner who “tried to influence him to unlawfully and illegally accept that he is the voice on these tapes and the provider of the information thereon.”

“In fact, you would recall that you offered my client the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to be part of your nefarious and sinister conspiracy to defame innocent persons. My client has consistently refused to be part of any untrue plot to defame innocent persons,” the letter stated.

The letter added that at Warner’s request, Hardeen was interviewed by Frederick John.

“And you are aware that he confirmed officially that he was not the voice on the tape and that the contents of any tape has nothing to do with my client,” the letter stated.

On one of the recordings played by Warner, the voice claims to have collected as much as $3 million as kickbacks for contracts awarded through Ramadharsingh’s former ministry.

“My client denies that he ever picked up any money from anyone for any illicit purposes. He has never received $3,000,000 from anyone or at all,” Hardeen said through his lawyer.

Hardeen also denied any knowledge of a relationship between Kristyan Gokool and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, as alleged on the recordings played by Warner.

“My client is of the view that your statements are maliciously untrue and calculated to bring him into disrepute, odium and contempt among right thinking members of society,” the lawyer said.

“Your statements are calculated to defame my client and wrongfully accuse him of being involved in criminal matters.

“My client confirms that he has no knowledge of what is on the tapes in your possession or that the telephone number that you have mentioned publicly is his or belongs to him,” he added.

Ramadharsingh is also threatening legal action against TV6 for airing snippets of the same tapes played by Warner.

In a statement yesterday, he said, “I listened with amazement at the defamatory statement made on TV6’s television report entitled “The Hardeen Expose” aired on Monday 22nd June, 2015. I have expressed my horror that such an untrue statement was made.

“While I understand the need for free press, it must be a free and responsible press. Also, I have taken note that no one exercised the simple courtesy of a call for a comment on this matter.

“It is remarkable and I hope that they can prove that I was involved in bribing someone or got someone to change a statement or make a statement that was false. I have always supported the truth but it appears that the truth in this matter will emerge in the courts, as clearly the need for financial gain trumps professionalism and responsible journalism.”

Both Ramadharsingh and Hardeen are represented by the same attorney and it was Ramadharsingh’s secretary who issued Hardeen’s legal letter to the media last night.

When the T&T Guardian contacted Hardeen to find out the connection between the two, Hardeen quickly disconnected the call and refused to respond to subsequent attempts to reach him.

In a text exchange with Warner yesterday, the former national security minister called on Hardeen to sue him if any of the information he released was untrue.

“Well let them sue me,” Warner said.

Warner has been given 24 hours to respond to the legal letter.

VIDEO: - Jack Warner's Press Conference at Normandie