Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday said the matter of the extradition of political leader of the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) Jack Warner was now in the hands of law enforcement officials and judicial officials. In a statement read during debate of the Gambling (Gaming and Betting) Control Bill in Parliament yesterday, Persad-Bissessar read a list of the charges brought against Warner by the United States Department of Justice.
She said: “It is with no pleasure that I make this statement in this honourable chamber this afternoon to, through you, let members know and of course the public know that the Government of T&T has received a request from the Government of the United States for the provisional arrest for the purpose of extradition of T&T citizen Jack Warner, alias Austin Jack Warner, pursuant to the extradition treaty between the Government of the United States and the Government of T&T signed March 4, 1996.”
The Parliament chamber was silent as Persad-Bissessar said Warner was wanted to stand trial for racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering offences in the United States. She said on May 20, 2015 District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a warrant for the arrest of Warner based on the charges in the indictment.
Persad-Bissessar said the arrest warrant remained valid and executable. “I am told by The Attorney General that the request of the US to the Central Authority for a provisional arrest warrant for Warner pending commencement of extradition proceedings, request being made with respect to the extradition treaty, the provisional arrest warrant was issued and I was told by the Honourable Attorney General that that arrest warrant is now in the hands of the T&T Police Service for execution.
“The matter is now in hands of law enforcement officials and judicial officials for due process according to the laws of T&T,” she added.
The charges
Warner was charged in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, in an indictment filed on May 20, 2015 with the following offences:
• Count 1: Conspiracy to knowingly agree to conduct or to participate in racketeering activity relating to wire fraud and other offences which either engages in or affects interstate or foreign commerce in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 1962B.
• Counts 9 and 23: Conspiracy to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, including for the intangible right of honest services using wire, radio or television communications to execute said scheme or artifice in violation of Title 18 US codes, sections 1343, 1346 and 1349.
• Counts 10 and 11: Devising any scheme or artifice to defraud using wire, radio or television communications to execute such scheme or artifice in violation of Title 18, US Code, Section 1343.
• Counts 12 and 24: Conspiring to transport, transmit and transfer monetary instruments and funds from places inside the United States to and through places outside the United States, and to places in the United States from and through places outside the United States with intent to promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activities in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 1956A 2A and 1956H.
• Count 13: Transporting, transmitting and transferring monetary instruments and funds from places inside the United States to and through places outside the United States and to places in the United States, from and through places outside the United States with the intent to promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activities in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 1956A 2A.
Each of these offences is punishable by United States law by more than one year imprisonment. Indictment also contains for allegations pursuant to Title 18, US Code sections 981A (1c), 1982A (1), 982A (6), 982B 1963A and 1963M. Title 21, US Code Section 853P. Title 28, US Code, 2461.