Young warns ex-UNC chairman: 'Ticket to Miami waiting for you, Jack'

PNM chairman Stuart Young said he has a first-class ticket waiting to send former UNC chairman Jack Warner to Miami.

Young, who is also Energy Minister and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, made the statement at a PNM public meeting in Chaguanas on Friday night.

He referred to a television news report which alleged that Warner plans to speak at a UNC public meeting on Monday, to announce that he will join his former political colleagues Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Gary Griffith to fight the local government elections against the PNM.

"We are seeing some dangerous things taking place."

Moments before Young spoke, an audio clip of Gary Griffith criticising Persad-Bissessar's work hours when she was prime minister was played.

Griffith served as national security adviser to Persad-Bissessar and national security minister at different times during the tenure of the UNC-led People's Partnership (PP) coalition.

He was appointed police commissioner under the Dr Keith Rowley-led administration but was not reappointed for a second term.

Young reminded PNM supporters that Griffith's National Transformation Alliance (NTA) has formed an alliance with the UNC for the elections because both parties know they cannot defeat the PNM on their own.

Warner's voice was also heard in the same clip.

Young said, "You all recognise those voices. Two of them have now joined up with Aunty Kamla."

Young said, "This is not a joke because what you all need to realise and recognise, is that people will say one thing today to you and before the night is over, they will say another thing."

In contrast, Young said, "The PNM will stand on principle. No matter how difficult the times are, we stand on principle and we make the right decisions, not only for TT but in every (local government) council where we have leadership."

In April 2013, Warner quit as national security minister from Persad-Bissessar's Cabinet in relation to corruption charges made against him as FIFA vice-president.

He resigned as UNC chairman, and in July of the same year, defeated Khadijah Ameen to retain his Chaguanas West seat in a by-election on July 29, 2013, with his newly formed Independent Liberal Party (ILP).

Warner had publicly criticised Persad-Bissessar as TT's worst prime minister and apologised the public for helping her to replace Basdeo Panday as UNC political leader.

Persad-Bissessar and Warner met at a UNC fundraiser in Macoya in February, raising speculation that he was rejoining the party.

Reminding the population that Warner is still facing extradition to the US for corruption charges relating to when he was FIFA vice president, Young said, "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-based 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 boss, 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.

Young told voters not to be fooled by whatever Warner tells them should he decide to join Persad-Bissessar and Griffith.

He said some people who could even fly from Trinidad to Tobago "are coming now to ask to represent us here across TT."

Persad-Bissessar, Warner and Griffith are scheduled to speak at a UNC/NTA public meeting at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya on Monday.

Young reminded the public of the ills the trio inflicted on them as members of the now defunct PP.

"Between 2010 and 2015, they ran that energy sector into the ground. They decimated the energy sector."

One of the uses of revenue from this sector, he said, was to fund local government corporations,

He said while they were in power, the PP did not negotiate a single natural gas supply contract with any company.

"It left us in a bad position when we (PNM) came in (after 2015)."

Another PP ill, he said, was national security.

Young, a former national security minister, slammed the PP for cancelling a contract to acquire two offshore patrol vessels for the coast guard.

He said before the PP demitted office in 2015, they hurriedly procured some substandard vessels from Dutch shipbuilder Damen.

Young said no one knew before the September 7, 2015 general election, that the PP had acquired those vessels or had no money to pay for them.

He said, "I can say here tonight, without fear of contradiction, there is an international criminal investigation into the UNC's procurement of those vessels now."

Young said, "That is how the coalition does its business."