PORT OF SPAIN: Extradition proceedings against Jack Warner, former president of central and north American football confederation CONCACAF, have been stalled after the removal of the state’s legal team writes KEIR RADNEDGE.
Warner, 71, was arrested in May on an indictment issued by the United States Department of Justice concerning allegations of a $150m corruption conspiracy involving senior football officials and marketing directors in the Americas.
He has denied all charges, was granted bail and is contesting extradition.
The US authorities have served all the relevant documentation on the Trinidadian authorities but the defeat of the governing People’s Partnership by the People’s National Movement on September 7 led to a change of regime in the attorney-general’s office.
Garvin Nicholas was replaced in office by Cabildo Chambers whose initial actions included dismissing the lawyers who had been appointed originally to lead for the state in the Warner extradition process.
The need for a new legal team to evaluate the application can only assist Warner in his stated aim of opposing extradition.
Loretta Lynch, the US Attorney-General, said in Zurich last week that she was confident all targets of the corruption indictment would eventually be brought to court to stand trial. She also said that, in certain cases, a trial in absentia was possible.
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