Rowley must answer if Warner’s son is still a member and supporter of the PNM.

The UNC notes with concern and amusement the statements made by the opposition MP and Political Leader of the ILP, Mr. Jack Warner about his alleged financial assistance to this Party and the Peoples Partnership.

Mr. Warner’s notorious political modus operandi has been characterized by shock-value scandalous allegations and character assassination. This has led to several defamation law suits against him. No doubt many more will be filed in the coming months as he continues and intensifies his malicious political and personal attacks.

Instead of addressing the serious allegations and criminal offences against him, he has targeted the UNC and the PP. The daily revelations about the guilty pleas by his sons and Mr. Chuck Blazer have lowered Mr. Warner into the political and legal quicksand.  Mr. Warner’s already diminished political credibility is vanishing before our very eyes. He is the first aspirant to the office of Prime Minister in our political history that will not be able to travel to the USA and UK and many other countries with which we do business. His political career is all but finished.

It is clear that his harangues and rants are now designed to assist the opposition PNM with which he has long forged an alliance via the Round Table coalition led by Dr. Rowley’s PNM. We note the deafening conspicuous silence from the political entities that comprise this group on Mr. Warner’s transgressions and their goading support for his vicious political attacks against the UNC, its political leader and several front-line MPs.

The political relationship between the PNM and the Warner family is well established – see Express article of Dec 13, 2010 “Jack respects son’s PNM decision”  and “Give Rowley a chance to lead ” – where Daryan embraced Rowley as his mentor and pledged his support for the PNM.

We therefore wish to ask opposition MP Dr. Rowley whether Warner’s son Daryan Warner who pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with wire fraud conspiracy, money launde­ring conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions is still a member and supporter of the PNM. We also ask Dr. Rowley to disclose the extent of the financial support from the Warner family to the PNM.

The political dividend and benefit they hope to reap by having Mr. Warner do their dirty work for them is not going to materialize as they cannot bury and shield their political relationship with Mr. Warner whom they embraced after he was asked to resign from the Cabinet of the Peoples Partnership. Indeed, Dr. Rowley and Mr. Warner were seen in intense conversation and in a jovial mood last week at the wedding reception hosted by a prominent contractor.  Dr Rowley has become Mr. Warner’s political puppet master and is using him to attack the UNC.

Mr. Warner is hell bent on destroying the UNC and the government because he blames them for his legal problems. The UNC is proud that the government partnered with the United States Department of Justice and the FBI through the Central Authority in fulfillment of its treaty obligations in the interest of international justice. To do otherwise would have been illegal and put the country at grave risk by protecting a wanted man who seems to think that he is above the law.

A drowning man will grasp at any straw. Mr. Warner has painted himself into an extremely difficult legal corner from which it will be very difficult to extricate himself. We wish him well in his upcoming legal battles but support the rule of law and the constitution that is the supreme law of Trinidad and Tobago. The UNC is proud that its leader had the wisdom and fortitude to remove Mr. Warner from her cabinet and sees these recent developments as a vindication of that decision.

For further information please contact: Khadijah Ameen, Chair (Ag)

Phone: (868) 788-3129 – email: ameen.khadijah@gmail.com