Jack Warner visits Trinidad & Tobago police station amid FIFA scandal
Tuesday 9 June 2015 07:55, UK
Jack Warner - one of the former FIFA executives at the centre of the corruption scandal - has been filmed leaving a police station in his native Trinidad and Tobago.
The former governing body's vice president, who is wanted by US authorities on charges of corruption and money laundering, left the station in the town of Arouca before getting into a waiting car and being driven away.
Trinidad and Tobago's justice minister Prakash Ramadhar has urged Warner to fly to the United States and hand himself in to authorities. But Warner denies all the allegations that have been made against him.
Ramadhar says Warner, one of 14 people wanted on suspicion of multiple offences in connected to his FIFA dealings, can still "do the right thing" and end a process which he feels is damaging the sport in the country.
The attorney general of Trinidad, Garvin Nicholas, has said Warner’s legal battle against extradition could last years because of its complex nature.
And Ramdhar said: "If he loves this country and he cares about its future, and the future of its children in particular, then he has to set the right example.
"He may have fallen short but he can do the right thing in some way at this stage and remedy the situation by taking responsibility and going to a trial.
"He can enter a plea but let there be finality as soon as possible rather than allowing us to play this drip by drip, Chinese water torture."
When asked if he felt Warner should voluntarily fly to New York to face trial, Ramadhar said: "That is what we are asking for.
"This is a problem for all of Trinidad and Tobago and the solution rests in the heart, conscience and in the hands of Mr Warner. If it is that Mr Warner cares about this country then he should go to the US and have his trial there.
"At the end of the day we don’t want technicalities. We want truth. As a lawyer, and I will tell you that for many years the innocent always rush for an early trial, so as a patriot I am asking for him to do so."
