Immediate dismissals from Jitnarine Hardeen and the Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
That’s what embattled Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner received yesterday following his latest tapes, alleged to be former minister Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh’s former driver Hardeen doing a wide-ranging “expose” on alleged People’s Partnership intrigue and corruption, including involving the Prime Minister.
During a news conference at the Normandie, St Ann’s, Warner played the tapes, focusing on the Kristyan Gokool matter, again claiming he had to warn T&T about the Prime Minister, since she was “unfit for office.”
“The Prime Minister says Kristyan Gokool is her neighbour I’m saying they are more than neighbourly,” Warner claimed.
However, when contacted on Warner’s tapes later, an angry sounding Hardeen said: “That is not my voice on any tape! It is a total fabrication.
“There will be a response from me on this very soon, That’s all I have to say for now.”
Hardeen added on what action he would take against Warner. (See Page A5)
Persad-Bissessar, in an immediate response to Warner’s various claims, also dismissed the allegation, saying last night they are “more delusional claims which my lawyers will deal with.
“He (Warner) has to answer to the US Attorney General and the FBI for his racketeering, money laundering and fraudulent wire transfers, so he seeks to come out of his box with these delusional claims.”
Asked yesterday by reporters if he had any information to verify it was Hardeen on the tapes, Warner said if the need arose for other evidence “they shall be produced.”
Warner said he had given the same tapes to the Integrity Commission since 2013 and the tapes allegedly told of “sleaze, graft, corruption, sexual misconduct and misbehaviour in public office.”
Asked if he had made a complaint to the commission about the PM and Ramadharsingh—on which his claims focussed—Warner said he gave the Integerity Commission the tapes and said “...make your own judgement... I don’t have to make a complaint.” He said he didn’t go to the police as the police may have been compromised.
Warner said after two years nothing had happened and when he checked the commission a year ago, the body said they had to match Hardeen’s voice with the tape through overseas sources.
He complained at length that while the commission had failed to deal with the matter, it wanted to ask him questions and had sought a tribunal to investigate him.
On the alleged “Hardeen tape,” Warner claimed Hardeen detailed allegations in a taped session at Warner’s office in Arouca on August 8, 2013, where the police officer came “of his own volition.”
Warner resigned from Government in April 2013 under fire for alleged corruption after a Concacaf probe.
Playing 17 minutes of an alleged 90-minute tape yesterday, Warner was heard instructing the person to state his name and address.
The person gives Hardeen’s name. Warner is then heard asking the person to tell him about the minister’s “houses, the corruption, apartments, the deals they make, with Danny’s son going through security, tell me everything, tell me everything...”
The person on the tape starts off with allegations about Ramadharsingh, in which Warner’s voice can be heard also interjecting and summarising information.
The voice claimed on one night he was told to go to a nearby hotel to collect someone, as “Dip Centre security wouldn’t let them enter with their private vehicle.”
The person claimed it was a “fair-skinned Indian fella.” They claimed the DC security “saw someone in the backseat and knew I left without anyone.” The voice claimed the security sought the person’s name and it was given.
The person claimed the passenger “said he was the assistant to the PM’s husband, Greg, and he came to pick up some clothes.”
The person on the tape claimed authorisation to enter was given and around 2.30 am someone allegedly came out and said “it was time for us to go home, Kristyan can fix up now...”
Warner alleged to reporters that the Diplomatic Centre sentry diaries were changed to hide this matter.
Warner also said he had heard “they” had contacted Hardeen to swear to an affidavit to say what was on the tapes was false.
He claimed Hardeen subsequently called him three times and he taped all three calls on June 1, June 9 and June 16, 2015.
He played those tapes of the voice, purportedly of Hardeen, in which the caller asked if Warner had (on the platform) asked if “Kristyan” ever spent a night by the PM residence” and saying Warner didn’t want to meet him.
“You know they watching me... they watching me, from the time I enter (the Centre of Excellence) they go lick me up, you know that,” the voice said.
I have more tapes—Jack
After this, he claimed a good friend of the PM sought a meeting with him at the Works Ministry and allegedly accused Warner of bias towards Jusamco and Coosals in getting contracts.
Warner alleged that in 2011 the PM shut down the Ministry of Works’ PURE unit for an audit because of complaints from that friend. He claimed contracts had to be approved by her, “which made things testy” between them and in June 2012 he was transferred to National Security.
Warner claimed there were more tapes and while he would not play them each week, he would decide when prudently and then “more Special Branch officers will have to resign.”
The person taped also alleged a former minister had six houses and he was responsible for making payments, that monies allegedly came from a well known government contractor, including $3 million in four months, and that two named ministry managers were aware of the situation.
The person alleged the government contractor “benefitted from URP programmes, had 52 companies and got 70 per cent of URP and the former minister’s brother became adviser to another minister, whose appointment the former minister knew about before the PM announced it.
The person also claimed a minister’s relative managed a government-run social programme in Sangre Grande.
The person alleged a former minister got a “$2 million kickback” from the Preysal Interchange but this was put in UNC’s accounts as the minister “stole” money from UNC’s 2010 campaign.
The taped voice claimed UNC general secretary Dave Tancoo was told of the situation and he told the PM.