[UPDATED] Warner returns to help Kamla in political fight: 'I will talk to the country'

FORMER UNC chairman Jack Warner will reveal the reasons why he is returning to active politics, when he joins his former political colleagues Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Gary Griffith on stage at a UNC/National Transformation Alliance (NTA) political meeting at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya, on Monday.

In a telephone interview with Sunday Newsday on Saturday, Warner confirmed his participation in that meeting.

"On Monday, I intend to talk and tell the country why I have to come back into politics."

Warner, a former FIFA vice president and cabinet minister in the UNC-led People's Partnership (PP) coalition government, felt it premature to disclose these reasons ahead of Monday's meeting.

He expected many people had questions about his return, given his ongoing legal challenges and political fallout with Persad-Bissessar when he left the UNC in April 2013 to form his own party, the Independent Liberal Party (ILP).

Warner said, "In spite of all of that, I am coming forward."

At a PNM meeting in Chaguanas, party chairman Stuart Young reminded the population that Warner is still facing extradition to the US for corruption charges relating to when he was FIFA vice president,

Young said he was offering Warner a first-class ticket to Miami, if he wants to go.

Warner promised to respond to Young on Monday.

On November 17, 2022, the Privy Council paved the way for the continuation of the proceedings to extradite Warner to the US to face the charges.

The London court held that the US request for Warner’s extradition was not unfair.

The proceedings in the local court were stalled when Warner, the former FIFA jefe, challenged the process by which the extradition proceedings against him were carried out and sought to quash the authority to proceed (ATP) signed by the Attorney General in September 2015. This was after the US asked for him to be extradited to face 29 charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering. The request was made on July 24, 2015.

After the September 7, 2015 general election, the then attorney general, Faris Al-Rawi, offered to allow Warner to make representations, but only on the condition the deadline for receipt of the ATP would be extended with his consent.

Warner refused to agree to the condition. His attorneys argued he was not given sufficient time to make representations, nor was he given disclosures of any evidence the US intended to use to secure his extradition.

The ATP gave the magistrate the green light to begin committal proceedings.

Warner is represented by Fyard Hosein, SC, Sasha Bridgemohansingh, Anil Maraj and Aadam Hosein. Appearing for ASP Alleyne, who is acting on the request of the US, are James Lewis, KC, Douglas Mendes, SC, Pamela Elder, SC, Ravi Rajcoomar, SC, Netram Kowlessar and Ryan Rajcoomar.

Warner is viewed as the catalyst behind the movement within the UNC that led to Persad-Bissessar defeating party founder Basdeo Panday in a landslide victory in the UNC internal elections on January 24, 2010.

He was also instrumental in subsequently getting a majority of UNC MPs to support Persad-Bissessar as opposition leader over Panday, the formation of the PP coalition, its victory in the May 24, 2010 general election and Persad-Bissessar's election as TT's first female prime minister.

Warner's parliamentary career began with his election as an opposition MP for Chaguanas West on November 5, 2007. He was opposition chief whip from January 29 to April 8, 2010.

After the May 24, 2010 general election, Warner was appointed works and transport minister.

He served in this portfolio from May 28, 2010, to June 26, 2011.

Warner was reassigned as works minister when his portfolio was split in a cabinet reshuffle on June 27, 2011.

Warner resigned as Concacaf president in June 2011 after one of its former secretary generals accused him and then-Asian confederation head Mohamed bin Hammam of attempting to bribe Caribbean delegates $40,000 each to vote for Bin Hammam in the election for president of FIFA. The ownership of the Centre of Excellence built with FIFA funds, and named after its longest serving late president Joao Havelange remains the subject of a dispute with Concacaf. Warner resigned as FIFA vice president in 2011.

He was appointed national security minister in another cabinet reshuffle on June 23, 2012.

Throughout the PP's tenure, Persad-Bissessar was criticised by the then opposition PNM for appointing Warner a government minister in the face of the FIFA-related corruption allegations against him.

The US Department of Justice claims that from as far back as 1990, Warner leveraged his influence and exploited his official positions for personal gain. He is accused of receiving US$5 million in bribes to vote for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup.

On April 21, 2013, Warner resigned as national security minister as additional corruption charges were made against him from Concacaf.

Five days later, he resigned as a UNC MP and formed the ILP.

On July 30, 2013, Warner defeated the UNC's Khadijah Ameen in the Chaguanas West by-election.

In that campaign, Warner denied claims from Persad-Bissessar that his family was being investigated by US authorities.

Persad-Bissessar downplayed Warner's victory, saying the UNC did not lose because it was still the government.

Ameen, now UNC vice-chairman and St Augustine MP, was shown with Warner in a recent photo on her Facebook page.

The photo is no longer on Ameen's page.

Tensions between Persad-Bissessar and Warner sometimes flared up in public

In one of them, Persad-Bissessar stormed out of a sitting of the House of Representatives in June 2015, after she slammed Warner for bringing TT into disrepute with the corruption charges against him.

"Do not take down this country to whatever place that you may be going to,” she told Warner.

"I will have the last laugh," he countered.

After losing the Chaguanas West seat in the September 7, 2015 general election to the UNC's Ganga Singh, Warner boasted that he had removed Persad-Bissessar from office.

The PNM defeated the PP 23-18 in that election.

At that time, Warner said Persad-Bissessar will not again see government “in our collective lifetimes.”

In December 2020, Warner predicted the UNC will lose the 2025 general election.

"Kamlamania is dead."

At the time, Warner was supporting former government minister Vasant Bharath who unsuccessfully challenged Persad-Bissessar for the UNC's leadership in the party's internal elections then.

“Kamla has had her time and failed 11 times.”

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

FORMER UNC chairman Jack Warner said he will reveal the reasons why he is returning to active politics, when he joins his former political colleagues Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Gary Griffith on stage at a UNC/ National Transformation Alliance (NTA) political meeting at the Centre of Excellence on Monday.

In a telephone interview with Newsday on Saturday, Warner confirmed his participation in that meeting.

"On Monday, I intend to talk and tell the country why I have to come back into politics."

Warner,a former FIFA vice president and cabinet minister in the UNC-led People's Partnership coalition, felt it premature to disclose these reasons ahead of Monday's meeting.

He expected many people had questions about his return, given his ongoing legal challenges and political fall out with Persad-Bissessar when he left the UNC in April 2013 to form his own party, the Independent Liberal Party.

Warner said, "In spite of all of that, I am coming forward."

At a PNM meeting in Chaguanas, party chairman Stuart Young reminded the population that Warner is still facing extradition to the United States for corruption charges relating to when he was FIFA vice president, Young declared, "I'm offering Jack Warner a first-class ticket to Miami waiting for him, if he wants to go."

On November 17, 2022, the Privy Council paved the way for the continuation of the proceedings to extradite Warner to the US to face the charges.

The London court held that the US’s request for Warner’s extradition was not unfair.

The proceedings in the local court were stalled when Warner, the former FIFA jefe, challenged the process by which the extradition proceedings against him were carried out and sought to quash the authority to proceed (ATP) signed by the Attorney General in September 2015. This was after the US asked for him to be extradited to face 29 charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering. The request was made on July 24, 2015.

After the 2015 general election, the then attorney general, Faris Al-Rawi, offered to allow Warner to make representations, but only on the condition the deadline for receipt of the ATP would be extended with his consent.

Warner refused to agree to the condition. His attorneys argued he was not given sufficient time to make representations, nor was he given disclosures of any evidence the US intended to use to secure his extradition.

The ATP gave the magistrate the green light to begin committal proceedings.

Warner is represented by Fyard Hosein, SC, Sasha Bridgemohansingh, Anil Maraj and Aadam Hosein. Appearing for ASP Alleyne, who is acting on the request of the US, are James Lewis, KC, Douglas Mendes, SC, Pamela Elder, SC, Ravi Rajcoomar, SC, Netram Kowlessar and Ryan Rajcoomar.