By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 03, 2012
Life in T&T is very funny business. Yo know way yo going; yo don’t know where yo’ likely to reach. The government declares a state of emergency, arrests over 8,000 black young men under the guises that they are/may be criminals. No charges made, no apologies offered and no compensation paid. In fact, we are told by the AG that if dey tink dey go make any money off the state for these illegal arrests, dey lie. He waiting for them. He would release the legal power of the state against them. They had better not even think about seeking compensation.
Andrew Jennings is an investigative sports reporter who, as a blurb on the back cover of his book Foul! says “has spent years delving into the dark side of the beautiful game” of soccer. In his book, he spends a lot of time documenting the corrupt practices of FIFA – the subtitle of his book is entitled Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals– and some time on the misdeeds of Jack Warner and his son Daryan.
First, Daryan and World Cup 2006. Jennings reports that at a FIFA executive meeting of December 2006 “They reveal that back in June, when Ernst & Young auditors estimated that Daryan might make a 500,000 pounds [approximately 5 million TT dollars] profit from World Cup deals, the Exco had ordered Simpaul Travel to pay back to FIFA a whooping 754,375 Euros [approximately 5 million TT] which FIFA would, in turn, donate to its favorite charitable, SOS Children’s Village” (pp. 351-2).
“Come December, the Warners had paid only US$250,000 ‘despite numerous reminders.’ Blatter recommended to the Committee that FIFA should in future allocate no tickets to Simpaul. The Committee agreed.”
Jennings quotes an Australian reporter, Jesse Finks who wrote the following: “Warner’s whole journey to the top of Caribbean football has been marked by a readiness to abuse his position. He should tell his son to stop? A father-to-son pep talk? The latest lettuce-flogging of one of its most ethically bankrupt executives has shown FIFA has no willingness to stamp out its own endemic corruption” (p. 352).
The operative words here are the allegations of Warner’s “readiness to abuse his position” and his being one of the most “ethically bankrupt executives” of FIFA.
This was 2006. Come 2010 and there is a devastating hurricane in Haiti. No sooner than he gets the news, Jack flies to Haiti ostensibly to assist. Later we learn that FIFA contributed $250,000 (US) and Korean Football Association $500,000 (US) to assist the victims of the hurricane. All of the money wounded up in a bank account controlled by Jack Warner.
Most of that money never reached its designation.
In 2012 when the scandal broke, Shaun Fuentes, Press Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF), announced: “The TTFF acknowledges it is aware of funds made available by both FIFA and the Korean football federation for its football victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010. However, we are unable to confirm the quantum of funds received, as these monies did not go into the account used by the TTFF administration for its day to day operations, but instead to the TTFF’s LOC account as was requested by Mr. Jack Warner.”
“The current executive is unaware of how these funds were distributed or utilized and is awaiting the promised audited accounts from Mr. Warner.”
Then there was the incident with Mohammed Bin Hammam and the distribution of cash gifts of $40,000 to the heads of CONCACAF which led to Mr. Warner’s resignation from FIFA. Even here there seems to be a problem. Police Commissioner, Dwayne Gibbs, says that the case is closed whereas DPP Roger Gaspard says “he never advised the police to stop investigations into allegations of bribery, alleged to have taken place at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Port of Spain on or about May 10, 2011. The allegations involve Works Minister Jack Warner.”
To be sure he was not misunderstood, the DPP emphasized that he had not given instructions to stop the investigation. If the Commissioner says so then he “is inaccurately characterizing the advice that I gave.”
Now that Mr. Warner is theoretically in charge of the person who has inaccurately characterized the DPP’s instructions and who is now forced to do the bidding of the person whom he said was beyond investigating vis-à-vis the contravention of Custom Act, chapter 78:01.” But as the DPP says, “he could only advise, not direct, the police to do an investigation.”
This is where T&T has reached; how muddled its ethical standards have become; and where an “ethically bankrupt” person is placed at the helm of its security forces? The Prime Minister has concluded that all that has been said and written about Mr. Warner are mere allegations which does not warrant that any pause be given to his being made the Minister of National Security.
In making Warner’s appointment, Kamla Persad Bissessar remarked: “It is my respectful view that Mr. Warner is a person of action, and he will be very useful in the Ministry of National Security.” She says she spoke to many persons before concluding that Warner was best fitted for the job which calls into question her judgment since the world has already made its judgment on Warner and it’s negative.
When Jack, the man of action, landed in Haiti in 2008 to help bereaved hurricane victims, he cooed piously: “My friends have told me that they are hungry and in need of basic human supplies. A tide of hungry humanity surrounds me. How can I not hear their cries for help?”
Jack, it seems, used the misery of that hungry humanity to fill his pockets. One wonders how someone described as “ethically bankrupt” and still under investigation by our own legal system can be asked to solve the growing “lawlessness” (his words) that now engulfs our society.
T&T, as my mother would say, “really reach way we going.” It will take more than prayers; Shaq’s hoops; and the prime minister’s piety to curb a lawless society that inundated our society.
And I guarantee you that all this crime and criminality only started in May 2010.
People like Cudjoe sat on the sidelines for decades and remained silent as crime and corruption pervaded T&T. Since “their” government was in power, people like Cudjoe could not cry “foul”.They silently allowed, participated in and often condoned the flurry of “off sides” in which their government participated.
I am afraid it’s too late now to complain to the referees. The game is over. T&T has descended into a culturally corrupt country and Cudjoe is justified in his criticism of the Warners. Since politics has a morality of its own, Jack was let out of the box to lead the crime fighting and T&T is fine with that.Unfortunately, journalists like Cudjoe are making late calls, only after their side has lost.
“Since politics has a morality of its own, Jack was let out of the box to lead the crime fighting and T&T is fine with that.” Yeah T-Man , I unlike some of our typical cyber yappers, prefer to hear what de high end lawyer,Danna Setahal, and Dr Deosaran ,aka de criminal justice expert, global head guru , have to say. Talk about immorality , these two, should develop a new Hindi , or is it Urdu word ,to define opportunistic , as they can jump ‘dat Trini, socio- political handout ship ,’ once it suit’s dem, at de drop of a hat.
Dis however , is something a Canadian adoring , Euro wannabe, don’t really care about, eeeeeeh? By de way how is the cross runner, representing her adopted country as yet? Non patriotic , self loathers!
tman remind CUDJOE where were him when his pnm broke the law with the number plate, mr. hart and family taking all of how money, having one man on 5 BOARDS they aLL SEEM NOT TO REMEMBER,MR BIG
Cudjoe has been writing a column on this forum for more than seven years now. During this time he has been sharing licks like peas to all and sundry.PNM included. If the respondents do not know about that, they could not have been reading him. Now, there are some columnists I never read, Sat being one, so if he for once said something laudatory about African originated people, I would miss most of it. My reading of him is confined to the headlines of his srticles. I suspect the attackers of Cudjoe are in the same boat with regard to his writings. If its online, its there forever unless someone deliberately deletes it, so TMan and Al may choose to do some homework. I am not Assigning it I just think you should give yourself some.
I am not sure about research. My son recently quoted me a line from “through the looking glass” about being at the table. Linda you should be aware of this. The question is if everyone at the table is ‘mad’ is anyone mad??
My initial remark is applicable. Others have tried and we in T&T are where we are. If you have tried and failed let someone else try and stop insisting they are mad or lacking.
L;INDA CAN YOU POINT THEM OUT TO ME, I MAY HAVE MISS THEM, I DO HOPE THAT THERE WERE ONE ON MR.BIG IF YOU CAN RECALL. THE PNM NUMBER PLATE DO HOPE THAT YOU CAN RECALL THOSE ATTACKS. I GIVING YOU THOSE ASSIGNMENTS.
Do your own homework John. Cudjoe has a website.
What about the Basketball sides that do not make it to the Finish..$$, all would fall down, new loops and hoops to get the cash-flow.What about the Kids and Young-stars that is not to Sports inclined??
This is a good move to relocate some Crimes, but putting something inside the Youths them Head would become more enduring, fostering nobility and Direction.
The School Systems that do not prepare the Youths for the Real world after, should be Scrapped and given to the Vultures in Shanti Town.
We need more Role Models, not Hoaxers playing for time.Book sense and practical reality is two different things.Hoping the books based upon facts, to much day dreaming and fantasizing and Castle building not making Sense.
Everything Have its Theory, but what about the Human Heart? what takes care of it? How do we Clean this up…we have already tried the Dollars and Cents. This problem of the Human Heart includes:Emotion,Affection,Acceptance, Purpose, Aim , Direction,Esteem and not forgetting Plain Old LOVE and Caring…we can’t give up on our young people now…could we???
When you attempt to solve a problem you try to get at the root cause moreso when one holds political office.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-07-07/jack-police-service-state-decay
Why grasp the negatives of an individual and paint that individual with general brushstrokes without allowing the possibility of ‘change’.
How can we forget what Panday did for sugar workers? Dookeran whilst Central Bank Governor introduced fiscal policies that steered T&T away from a further currency devaluation? Humphrey with visionary measures to improve infrastructure in T&T etc. George Chambers was a bright PM but he was referred to as a dunce by his own supporters. Come on Opposition, some jornalists have had their guns trained on Warner for some time. It would help if we can see some good in people and situations rather than letting our own prejudices lead us as lemmings over a precipice of moral decline.
Good afternoon, to all you wonderful people. Firstly I will like to say give respect to my Learned and elderly members of society. Very quickly I will like to suggest we live in a very corrupted time where humanity is simply not considered. Trinidad and Tobago need visionaries who will make a difference.Jack Warner has created hope for many youths through his affiliation with FIFA and continues to take a stand to make a difference in contributing to the security of T&T. How is it possible Dr. Cudjoe that you are willing to dismiss Mr. Warner while he is doing something and you are not, where young people are concerned.This is only a suggestion Sir, I will like you to visit the community of Malick 7th Avenue and implement strategies of change for the better and any community you will like me to work in I will to make a positive change.One day into the future I will like to see T&T as the model state for human development, could we work together and make it happen. I am disappointed that you attempt to make Jack Warner an international criminal. Sir do you know it is a crime to accumulate knowledge and rob the people around you of development. For example most developed Nations invite people to their country with the following assets; good education, $75,000.00 in bank acct., In T&T we allow people in because they do not have the aforementioned, however in most cases(one of your words you seem to dwell on) because they are black that is no doubt your cry. We live in a time and space of opportunity and not race, they are my young brothers and sisters who I see have all the potential in the world to be the best in what ever they dream of doing, I will like to suggest Sir, make an attempt to reach out to the young people. A t the moment Mr. Warner is making attempts to solve or minimize the crime, please let us support him.
P.S. we have a lot of work to do, lets’ do it together