Jack Warner says he has no intentions of revealing secrets about former Fifa president Sepp Blatter, even when he publishes his third book in December.
Warner was speaking to members of the local and international media during a tour of the Marabella Trainline, one of the most impoverished regions in south Trinidad.
Warner said he had no intentions of revealing any secrets about Blatter, who resigned in June, despite being re-elected for a record fifth term at the Fifa congress. Blatter is currently holding an interim role until the end of the year to oversee the transition to new leadership.
Two weeks ago, Warner promised “an avalanche of revelations of (his) knowledge of financial transactions at Fifa, including, but not limited to, Sepp Blatter.” However, he changed his tune yesterday saying he remained a loyal man.
“I worked with Blatter for 30 years. I know a thing called loyalty and under any conditions or tribulations I may suffer, I know what is loyalty and therefore when a fella is down or seems to be down, I will not push him down. When he is down I will give a helping hand," Warner said.
“There are people in this country who like to demonise people. I am not like that, therefore do not expect me to tell anybody anything about Fifa or Blatter. I am not like that. I am not that kind of person. I don’t have anything I want to reveal about Blatter.”
Warner, who assisted many of the residents of the Trainline with rebuilding their homes and constructing in-house toilets, received a warm welcome. Emelia Young, 76, hugged Warner and prayed with him. Blind resident Damien Young shook his hand and offered support, while Kathleen O’Neil advised him to bring ILP membership forms for the residents.
A few people even asked Warner to help them with employment. One resident, Worren Whittington, was hired on the spot, while Warner made a commitment to help Ian Charles fix his stairs.
But when asked where he got the money to help so many residents, Warner denied it was Fifa money. He said, “I used my own money. I have a constituency fund you know and that is where I got money to help these people.”
Warner said his third book would be called The Political History of Jack Warner.
“That will be a best seller. I am working on it. It will be published in December and will add to my two previous books, Inward Hunger and from Zero to Hero.”
Warner said he hoped to show the international media how the People’s Partnership Government in oil-rich T&T treats its people. He chastised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, saying that a few miles away, she lived in a palace in Phillipine. He also vowed more exposes in his Sunshine newspaper, adding that he planned to send copies of cheques given to Attorney General Garvin Nicholas “to jog his memory.” Nicholas had told reporters he could not remember cheques being issued to him by Warner.
Copies of the cheques were made public by Warner in his newspaper.