By Paul Nicholson
June 30 – News that Trinidad & Tobago had received extradition papers from the US seeking former FIFA vice president Jack Warner, who was indicted in the FIFA investigation, have been quickly denied by the US Department of Justice which said it has not sent “any final requests” regarding the extradition.
Warner is wanted in the US on money laundering, conspiracy and wire fraud charges – all of which he denies,
Placed on an Interpol ‘red notice’ on June 3, Warner had already handed himself into local Trinidad & Tobago Fraud Squad officers on May 27 after learning a warrant had been issued for his arrest. He was released on bail of TT$2.5 million ($394,000) and is due to re-appear in court on July 9.
The US embassy in Trinidad & Tobago in a statement to local media said “the US Department of Justice has not yet sent any final requests on the Jack Warner extradition request to the Trinidad and Tobago authorities and is still within the 60 day window specified by the treaty for the final request to be delivered.”
The 60 days took effect following the warrant being served on Warner. The State has those 60 days to present the documentation from the US detailing the evidence and reasons for Warner’s extradition.
If the US does not provide those documents by the time of the Port of Spain hearing on July 9, the matter will likely be adjourned to a date on or before July 27.
Meanwhile Warner, the leader of the small Independent Liberal Party, was reported in the Trinidad Express speaking at a meeting at Hatters panyard in San Fernando warning supporters that in the coming weeks they will hear many things about him and the US charges but there is no need to worry.
“You will hear Jack Warner is guilty and you will hear them say he should leave and go to the US and be tried. You will hear them say he can’t go to France. You know how many times I went to France with my own money. I have gone to more countries in the world than any of the combined, so I don’t have to go to France. What want to do is to come to places like Hatters panyard and see the people’s problems.”
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