By Mark Baber
July 20 – In yet another apparent leak from inside the US Department of Justice investigation into FIFA corruption, the Trinidad Sunday Express has published details of the evidence against Jack Warner provided by “a US law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation” who says the statement of case against Warner is now complete and the formal “record of case” will arrive in Trinidad by Wednesday.
According to the Head of the Trinidad Express Investigative Desk, Camini Marajh, the inside information on the progress of the case was provided on Friday by a source “who is not authorised to discuss the case” on the condition of strict anonymity.
Marajh has been investigating Warner’s affairs for a number of years with Warner having written to her in 2013 refusing to answer her questions relating to corruption on the basis that “wrapped within your own expression of opinions and false judgment what I would be doing is validating character assassination posing as investigative journalism.”
Warner denies the charges of money laundering, wire fraud and racketeering made against him by US investigators and has pledged to fight extradition.
According to Marajh’s source the evidence against Warner “relies on an evidence trail of media contracts and other documents, bank records, e-mail correspondence and the testimony of several co-conspirators who shared in the bribery spoils, including his former close pal-turned-state Confidential Witness No.1 (CW1) American Chuck Blazer, CW2 Jose Hawilla, a Brazilian sports marketing executive whose company Traffic paid Warner tens of millions of US dollars in bribes and his two sons, Daryll and Daryan Warner, who have already pleaded guilty to US corruption charges in exchange for reduced jail time.”
According to the source: “Blazer and Hawilla … have provided documentary evidence of the parallel contracts Warner signed with Inter/Forever. Payments to Warner and Blazer were made through intermediary accounts used by the Brazilian marketing company to disguise “the source and nature” of the payments.”
In her article revealing details of the evidence, Marajh expands on the information previous leaked regarding Warner’s alleged theft of money which had been earmarked for earthquake relief in Haiti saying, “US prosecutors, according to the unsealed May indictment against Warner, have gone after the former FIFA executive Committee member for several of his more infamous transactions, including the theft of $750,000 in emergency aid intended for earthquake-ravaged Haiti in 2010. Warner is alleged to have pocketed almost all of the relief money, $700K to be exact.”
That the leaks come from inside the investigation, may be a reflection of the insecurity some close to the investigation feel about the chances of extraditing Warner to face US prosecutors, given his powerful position at home. Targeted leaks are may be designed to undermine the strength of Warner’s support at home, whilst sanctions against those encouraging trial by media are obviously not of a nature to provide a credible disincentive.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734875208labto1734875208ofdlr1734875208owedi1734875208sni@r1734875208ebab.1734875208kram1734875208