Is the subject of an enquiry by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Express learned that the FBI's enquiry is based on money-laundering allegations against former FIFA vice-president Warner which stem from his relationship with Chuck Blazer, former general secretary of CONCACAF, the football federation for North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Questioned on the enquiry and whether FBI officials will be in Trinidad and Tobago to gather evidence, the United States Embassy in Port of Spain issued this statement to the Express: "As a matter of long-standing policy, we do not comment on law enforcement matters."
Blazer was the whistle-blower into the bribes-for-votes allegations made against Warner and Qatar football official Mohammed bin Hammam at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) meeting held at Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain in 2011.
Blazer's allegations, leading up to FIFA's presidential election last year, resulted in Warner's resignation as vice-president of FIFA, president of CONCACAF and president of the Caribbean Football Union. It is alleged that bin Hammam offered 40 members of the CFU US$40,000 each for their votes in the FIFA presidential election.
In 2011, Blazer was also the subject of an FBI enquiry for allegedly hiding a multi-million-dollar offshore account.
At the time, the FBI was examining evidence that payments may have come from the CFU during the time of Warner's presidency.
At that time and in response to the reports and the FBI investigation of Blazer, Warner had told the Express that he "was not surprised" that Blazer was under scrutiny and he was not concerned that his name would be called into question in this scandal.
"The world will finally get to understand what I have been saying all along. This is only the beginning. There is a whole lot more to come, trust me," Warner had said.
In September, newly-appointed CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb said the finances of CONCACAF under Warner's tenure, when he was president of the body from 1991 to 2011, were still being probed by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Warner denied the probe then.
One of Webb's concerns was for CONCACAF to finally determine "whether CONCACAF has legal title to the Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence (at Macoya) and whether there may be guarantees or loans against CONCACAF's property is still being determined".
Contacted on the matter on Saturday, Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said he had not been informed of any investigation.
The Express learned that the Financial Intelligence Bureau (FIB) of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has also been investigating the matter.
In May, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard advised the police that investigations should be continued in the context of the Customs Act in the CFU "cash-for-votes" incident. That information came out in the public domain after former Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs had told the Police Service Commission that Warner had been cleared of any allegations.
Questioned on the state of the police investigation into Warner, Williams said he couldn't comment as he had not been recently briefed, but gave an undertaking to provide an update.
Warner was appointed to the post of National Security Minister in June.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar did not respond to texts yesterday on the matter.
Attempts to reach Warner yesterday, once by e-mail and several times by phone, were futile.
RELATED NEWS
Integrity Commission investigates complaint against Warner’s FIFA’s activities
By Irene Medina Associate Editor.
$M ACCOUNTS UNDER PROBE
At least one person has been interviewed by investigators from the Integrity Commission regarding allegations against National Security Minister Jack Warner in connection with his FIFA activities.
The Commission's probe was initiated following correspondence to its chairman Ken Gordon, dated July 26, 2012 and again on September 27 from activist group Fixin T&T signed by one of its directors Kirk Waithe.
Last Friday, Warner, who also sits on the National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar confirmed to the Sunday Express that he had been contacted by the Integrity Commission.
Asked if he was aware of complaints made against him to the Commission specifically related to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) 2006 account which handled funds generated by the country's World Cup qualifying campaign, he said yes, but denied that his discussions with the Commission were as a result of complaints made by Waithe.
"I had discussions with the Commission but it was not as a result of any complaints by Kirk Waithe. I was contacted because the Commission said that my Form A was incomplete and there were other issues with my Form B," he said.
He said he was "totally dismissive" of Waithe, adding, "He could do what he wants."
A check with the Commission's website revealed that the Form A is a confidential document which instructs a public officer to declare his/her income, assets and liabilities. It calls for complete details of income not just of the public officer but their spouse and dependent children and requests specifically all income from jobs, dividends, properties, and from other sources.
Along with his July letter, Waithe submitted documents, including copies of cheques, invoices and bank statements pertinent to Warner, a former vice president of the International Football Federation (FIFA) ,and a Local Organising Committee (LOC) Germany 2006 bank account.
Documents shared with the Commission indicated that the LOC 2006 Germany Company Ltd, had in its possession some $180 million in funding for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and accountability questions are being asked about these funds.
Waithe told the Commission's chairman that based on the information and reports on the recent ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) his organisation was requesting a full investigation into Minister Warner, relative to alleged breaches of the Integrity in Public Life Act.
The Commission was also asked to "request from all banks in Trinidad and Tobago, information on any and all accounts to which Minister Warner was and remains a signatory so that a forensic audit can be conducted".
Waithe and his pressure group also called on the Integrity Commission to enlist the assistance and support of the Board of Inland Revenue in this investigation.
Their second letter, two months later, called on the Commission's chairman Gordon to provide an update with regards the pursuit of the investigation.
On October 19 this year, the Integrity Commission called Waithe's office to schedule an interview, and according to him, "I met with two investigators of the IC at their offices in the Unit Trust building on Independence Square at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. We met for about 90 minutes.
I have spoken with one of the investigators via telephone at least three times since then, inquiring on any progress made."
Waithe said: "Based on our meeting and subsequent conversations, I am of the view that an investigation consistent with the requests we made has been launched."
The Sunday Express wrote to the Commission via email on November 21, asking if the Commission had launched a formal investigation into Warner, relative to any breaches to the Integrity in Public Life Act, and if so, what are the areas, how long ago, and if the minister was made aware of such a probe.
Registrar Martin Farrell in his response did not deny that such an investigation had been initiated, but invoked a confidentiality cover saying, "The Integrity Commission is not in a position to comment on your request. As you will appreciate, having regard to the nature of its mandate under the Integrity in Public Life Act, the Commission is required to treat with all matters with the utmost confidentiality."
Questioned on the matter, Waithe told the Sunday Express that the documentation that has come to hand causes grave concern and raises many questions and asked, "Why was there transfer of monies from the TTFF account to (other) accounts?"
A perusal of the documents showed that a 2007 TTFF Account Register recorded a deposit of $10,164,000 of public funds from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs on July 13, and a transfer of $6.7 million ten days later to a private account.
Also in 2007, according to the documents shared with the Commission was a payment of $322,000 paid from a TTFF account to a private account, and between 2007 and 2009, huge transfers were made to a private account, one of which was a whopping $20,475,095 from a second TTFF account.
Warner, meanwhile slammed Waithe, whom he accused of plotting to bring the government down.
"I have also been advised that Mr Waithe has written about 16 letters to the Commission about me and other members of the government. His objective is to bring down the government, that's what he said publicly," Warner said.
He further accused the Fixin T&T director of being in alliance with the Opposition PNM and of breaking the law.
"I know all about him, he is funding the PNM and is part of a five-man committee to rebrand the political leader of the PNM.