Rowley: FIFA $$ for UNC ‘the real story’

Rowley, the People’s National Movement (PNM) political leader and Diego Martin West MP, made this statement in response to comments made by Warner in a paid televised political broadcast on Wednesday night.

In that broadcast, Warner promised to provide information on funding he received from FIFA, but implied FIFA funding also went to the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration and the United National Congress (UNC) in the 2010 general election campaign. Persad-Bissessar is the UNC’s political leader. Rowley told Newsday, “The real story is his (Warner’s) confirmation that the UNC, which formed the Government was funded by the FIFA derived money.” Recalling that Warner was UNC chairman prior to leaving the Cabinet and coalition in 2013 to form the ILP, Rowley argued that it was for this reason that Warner “is now on Interpol’s most wanted list.”

The PNM leader added, “Having been conceived in such iniquity, it should be no surprise to anyone why this Government quickly became the most corrupt that we ever experienced.” Warner, in his televised broadcast, also said he will provide documents to local and foreign law enforcement dealing with the Section 34 fiasco. While offering no comment on this yesterday, Rowley told reporters during a press conference at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Port-of-Spain on Monday, “It is my view that Mr Warner has information which can elucidate for us what happened with Section 34 in a Cabinet of which he was a part.” Indicating at that time that Warner is now “in a position to tell us the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” Rowley said, “What I will say to Mr Warner is, if he wants to tell us the story, tell us the whole story how two other financiers got themselves virtually freed from judicial action because the Cabinet took actions in the Parliament, at the level of the Cabinet, and at the Office of the President.”