UPDATED STORY:Wired868 examines Warner’s supposed police acquittal
... Gibbs, Warner and the PSC deserve sanction
By Lasana Liburd (www.wired868.com)Trinidad and Tobago's national security bodies revealed a new low this week in terms of organisation, investigative work, communication and, arguably, credibility.
Minister of Works and Infrastructure and ex-FIFA Vice President Jack Warner was at the heart of the chaos.
On Monday, the PSC issued a press release which claimed that investigations into bribery allegations against Warner, arising from the scandalous 2011 FIFA presidential elections, had been closed for the past two months.
The PSC, which is chaired by Ramesh Deosoran, informed the public that Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs will take no further action against Warner on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard based on the report given by Gibbs himself.
Gaspard subsequently denied ever offering such advice.
The PSC release also included several dates, which only further muddied the waters.
The Police Commissioner apparently sent a letter to the PSC on 21 March 2012 informing the latter body that the case was closed.
Coincidentally, on 20 March 2012, I contacted Warner based on new information received on this same case.
Wired868 received a copy of an affidavit sworn by Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) General Secretary Richard Groden, which alleged that he handed Warner an envelope containing a US$40,000 (TTS$243,200) bribe from another former FIFA VP, Mohamed bin Hammam, at his ministerial office and saw him place it in a drawer. Groden also accused Warner of fraudulently representing the TTFF.
So, on March 20, Wired868 asked Warner (among other questions):
"Did you use your post as Transport Minister to facilitate the flow of this money into or out of the country? Did you receive US$40,000 from Richard Groden at your Government office last year? If so, what did you do with the money?"
Warner did not respond and, on March 22, Wired868 published: “TTFF Secretary accuses Warner of collecting bribe.”
But, unknown to us, Commissioner Gibbs allegedly sought to close the case between the time of our letter to Warner and publication of our exclusive report with new information.
Five days after Gibbs' alleged bizarre misinterpretation of Gaspard's advice, Warner was officially appointed to the National Security Council (NSC) on which the Canada-born Police Commissioner is a fellow board member.
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