“It has to be someone else’s wife he talking about!”
This was United National Congress (UNC) deputy leader Dr Roodal Moonilal’s response to a claim by Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner, that he (Warner) had paid for Moonilal’s wife’s education.
Moonilal was speaking to the media at Kennedy Park, Picton, during his constituency’s Family Day yesterday.
At a cottage meeting Wednesday night in Marabella, Warner told residents he was letting out all the UNC’s secrets and has proof to show he paid for Moonilal’s wife to be educated in London.
Yesterday, however, Moonilal denied the claim and defended his wife.
“My wife was never educated in London, it is somebody else wife he is talking about and that could put me in a lot of trouble,” Moonilal said with a smile.
“And where she studied I paid with a loan from First Citizens Bank and I paid every dollar, I had to pay out that when I was in opposition.”
He added, “With Mr Warner I don’t know if he’s dreaming, if he’s desperate, I don’t know if he is mistaking wives or something now, but he is in some serious problems.”
Moonilal said the only reason he would not take legal action against Warner on this matter was because of his impending extradition to the United States on charges of bribery, fraud and racketeering, among others, in relation to his Fifa affairs.
“The only reason I will not sue him is because by the time I send him a pre-action protocol letter he could be in the US and I would waste all my time and money with lawyers. Is somebody else’s wife he maybe sent to London to study.”
Moonilal said his loan was paid off to the bank and he has all necessary documents to prove it.
He added that he feels sorry for Warner, noting he is now holding on by his fingernails.
“I really feel sorry for him, people think I get joy in his problems, I get no joy. But I don’t know how long again this country will endure Jack Warner and his files and tapes and envelopes.
“I don’t know, I think the country is tired and it is affecting our international image which is taking a battering because of Jack Warner.”
He urged Warner to cooperate with the US Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
“I think it is an act of desperation for him to come in his last hour in T&T to say he financed the UNC, when he has most recently been in bed with the PNM,” he said.
“If he has one iota of patriotism and love for this country he should really cooperate with US and save T&T the international shame and disgrace he is dragging the country through at this time.”
When asked whether there was any concern, during the 2010 election season, of where Warner’s money was coming from, Moonilal said it is unfair for the public to assume that all Warner’s money was acquired through crookery.
“He was a highly paid international civil servant and a highly known businessman. I think its unfair to suggest that every dollar Mr Warner had, he had by fraud.
“He had real estate and other business, so if he sponsored a football match or so on I don’t think its fair to say that every dollar he has he got by crookery.” - (SR)