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Last Wednesday, the world of football was thrown into chaos as the United States government moved to carry out a global initiative against alleged corruption in Fifa. At a press conference in Brooklyn, New York, the new United States Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, announced the unsealing of a 47-count indictment charging 14 defendants with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies in connection with a 24-year scheme of enrichment on the part of those charged. Among those indicted was Jack Warner who has publicly stated that he is not guilty.
However, in the press release issued by the US Department of Justice, Jack Warner’s sons, Daryll and Daryan, both pleaded guilty at different times in 2013 to different offences. In respect of Daryll Warner, the press release said:
“On July 15, 2013, the defendant Daryll Warner, son of defendant Jack Warner and a former Fifa development officer, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with wire fraud and the structuring of financial transactions.”
In respect of Daryan Warner, the press release said:
“On October 25, 2015, the defendant Daryan Warner waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions. Daryan Warner forfeited over $1.1 million around the time of his plea and has agreed to pay a second forfeiture money judgment at the time of sentencing.”
The dates on which the pleas of guilty were made are highly significant politically in this country. July 15, 2013, was just two weeks before the Chaguanas West by-election, however, there was no statement to that effect in respect of Daryll Warner. The public had no idea that he had confessed to the crimes of wire fraud and structuring of financial transactions.
Leader of the Opposition, Dr Keith Rowley told TV6 reporter Faine Richards on July 4, 2015, when commenting on Jack Warner’s break with the UNC that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend and I am a friendly guy.” However, Daryll pleaded guilty 11 days after Rowley’s “friendly” statement and a more harmonious relationship developed between Rowley and Warner after that in stark contrast to the pre-by-election relationship between them.
The Express ran a front page story on August 23, 2013, that had as its headline ‘DARYLL DUCKS IN’ which highlighted the fact that Daryll was able to travel to Trinidad. According to the Express: “Questioned on whether he or his brother were co-operating witnesses in an investigation by US agencies into world soccer governing body, Fifa, he said it was ‘all allegations’ and he went on to say ‘I have heard I was in jail, that I was under house arrest, that I can’t leave Miami or I can’t travel. But I don’t feel compelled to respond to those things, he said.”
The reality was that he had already pleaded guilty since July 15, and his visit to Trinidad on August 23, was after that guilty plea. The Express report also included his brother Daryan as follows:
“When the Express pointed out that his brother did address those issues with the Express, he replied: ‘My brother has kids and a family so he was compelled to respond. I am a bachelor. I have nothing to hide. I have no problems. I am just enjoying life.’ Asked whether he felt it was the media or the politicians who made an issue of the Warner brothers not being in Trinidad, he quickly replied that it was ‘politics’. ‘What happens here is all gutter politics. It was desperation on the part of the United National Congress (UNC). If they have an issue with Jack, that is their issue. It does not define his children,’ he said.”
As it turned out, Daryan Warner pleaded guilty on October 25, 2013, to charges of wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions. He also forfeited $1.1 million and agreed to pay a second forfeiture when he is sentenced.
What is interesting about the date on which he pleaded guilty is that it was four days after the local government elections that were held on October 21, 2013, and just ten days before the St Joseph by-election on November 4, 2013. The electorate had no idea that all of this was going on and those who were leading the ILP campaign at the time obviously did not know either.
According to the Express story:
“In February, Warner, who was then national security minister, had challenged anyone who wanted to know his sons’ whereabouts to contact them and had dared the media to publish anything about them. This was at the time of widespread rumours that they had been detained in Miami. In March, Reuters News Agency published a report by Mark Hosenball which stated that Daryan Warner was a ‘co-operating witness’ in an investigation into allegations of corruption in Fifa.”
One does not know the extent to which Daryan Warner “co-operated” with the US authorities in the Fifa investigation ahead of his guilty plea on October 25, 2013.