The watchdog group Fixin’ T&T is demanding that an investigation be launched to determine if any money laundering laws were breached in the wake of comments by former Fifa vice-president and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner, that he used funds acquired from the dealings in the world governing body for football to finance the People’s Partnership 2010 election campaign.
In a release yesterday, the group’s president Kirk Waithe said the police service needed to launch an immediate probe into this and several other matters to determine if there was a breach and by whom.
The release seemed inspired by allegations made by Warner in an address to the nation on Wednesday night, that he had passed on information to lawyers which could prove that monies which formed part of bribes paid to Fifa executives to “fix” matches was utilised in the run-up to the 2010 election.
Among the other matters Fixin’ T&T insists should be investigated is the current administration’s political campaign in the run-up to the 2010 general election; the campaign of the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led slate in the run-up to the UNC’s internal elections of 2010; Government’s campaign in the run-up to the Tobago House of Assembly elections in 2013; the Independent Liberal Party’s (ILP) campaign in the run-up to the Chaguanas West by-election of 2013; the ILP’s campaign in the run-up to the local government elections of 2013; and monies, if any, paid to Ross Advertising during and in respect to the aforementioned campaigns.
Waithe said, “If it is found after a thorough and transparent investigation that Fifa funds were used in any of the above, the repercussions for this country may not merely be restricted to reputational damage, but can in all probability result in criminal proceedings against persons who now hold or once held high political office.”
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has repeatedly said that she personally received no party funding from Warner. Warner, however, has denied this and recently produced cheques he claimed were paid for services conducted on behalf of the party during the 2010 general election campaign.