Port of Spain, Trinidad — Following his indictment in the US on eight counts of racketeering, fraud and money laundering, Trinidad member of parliament Jack Warner, former regional vice president of FIFA, was arrested and taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon and brought before the chief magistrate where the charges were read to him and he was granted bail in the sum of $2,500,000 (US$395,000) with conditions. Under the treaty between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago, the US now has 60 days to produce a formal request for Warner’s extradition.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Attorney General Garvin Nicholas said that, on Wednesday morning, the Central Authority of Trinidad and Tobago received a request from the US Department of Justice for a provisional arrest warrant for the purposes of Warner’s extradition.
“In keeping with our international obligations, the Central Authority of Trinidad and Tobago immediately facilitated the process to obtain the said warrant, which was issued by the Chief Magistrate, Ms Marcia Ayers-Caesar,” Nicholas said in a statement.
According to the attorney general, Wednesday’s events were the result of continued successful cooperation between the Central Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and the US Department of Justice, which has spanned a period of approximately two years in respect of the present matter.
“The nature of this matter is global in scale. It is therefore expected that this matter would draw not only national but international attention. This matter is however of a very serious and sensitive nature and is now in the hands of the court. I have full confidence in the institutions involved to carry out their roles in a professional and fair manner,” Nicholas added.
On Wednesday morning, seven top executives of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) were arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, as a result of an international investigation conducted by the United States. These seven were among 14 high-ranking officials of FIFA, as well as leading officials of other related soccer governing bodies, indicted on charges in the US.
The allegations arising out of the investigation include bribery, corruption, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering.
Warner was indicted on eight counts including:
a) One count of conspiracy to knowingly agree to conduct or participate in racketeering activity, relating to wire fraud and other offences, which either engages in or affects interstate or foreign commerce, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d);
b) Two counts of conspiracy to devise any scheme or artifice to defraud, including for the intangible right of honest services, using wire, radio, or television communications to execute such scheme or artifice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, 1346, and 1349;
c) Two counts of devising any scheme or artifice to defraud, using wire, radio, or television communications to execute such scheme or artifice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343;
d) Two counts of conspiring to transport, transmit and transfer monetary instruments and funds from places inside the United States to and through places outside the United States and to places in the United States from and through places outside the United States, with the intent to promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(2)(A) and 1956(h); and
e) One count of transporting, transmitting and transferring monetary instruments and funds from places inside the United States to and through places outside the United States and to places in the United States from and through places outside the United States, with the intent to promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(2)(A)